🔗 Share this article

Oro Faustino, this eleven-year-old from Argentina chess sensation often dubbed a “Chess Messi,” has made history by emerging as the first player under 12 to attain a GM norm and surpass a 2500 rating.

During the recent Legends and Prodigies competition in the Spanish capital, Oro ended without a loss with 7.5/9, securing his first GM norm with 1.5 points as a cushion. His rating now stands at 2509, making him the most youthful in history to cross the 2500 barrier.

Next Goals and Record-Breaking Ambitions

The young champion is now targeting to obtain his second and third grandmaster norms in the next few months, which would make him the youngest GM in chess history, surpassing the existing world record set by Abhimanyu Mishra.

His upcoming events feature the Chess World Cup in Goa, the Club Cup in Europe in the Hellenic Republic, and a closed tournament in Argentina.

Background and Comparisons

Abhimanyu Mishra, the one who earlier established the record in 2021, encountered challenges and required multiple tournaments prior to securing the grandmaster title. However, recently, he proved his skill by almost earning a spot for the 2026 Candidates.

Karjakin, another former young grandmaster, previously had a memorable showdown with world champion Carlsen in the 2016 championship, while Gukesh, currently the reigning world champion, as well holds a spot among the youngest GMs.

Playing Style and Media Presence

Oro is known for his adaptable style, able to excelling in long endgames, positional games, fast draws, and creative offensives.

Despite a few discussion about event setups, Oro’s performances in previous competitions, such as the Fujairah Masters, show his readiness for the GM level.

With solid media support and a memorable surname, Oro is seen as a potential worldwide role model in the chess world, especially as current leading figures such as Carlsen move toward retirement.

Forthcoming Competitions

In other competitive chess news, the European Team Championship will start in Batumi, Georgia, with England entering as the number six seeded team.

Their squad features competitors like Vitiugov, Adams, Jones, Luke McShane, and Shreyas Royal, with GM Watson serving as team captain.

Germany, headed by Blübaum and Vincent Keymer, are the top seed and front-runners for the championship.

In the Women’s European Team Championship, England holds the twelfth position and will be captained by GM Stuart Conquest.

Fans can watch the games live and at no cost on online services such as the Lichess site and Chess.com.

Chess Puzzle Answer: First Qxg7+! Kxg7 2 Bd8+! Kh8 Third Rg8+! Rxg8 4 Bf6+ Rg7 5 Bxg7+ Kg8 Sixth Bxd4+ Kf7 7 Rf1+ Ke7 Eighth Bxb2, and White win.