Oro Faustino, the eleven-year-old from Argentina chess prodigy frequently dubbed the “Messi of Chess,” has made a historic milestone by becoming the first player under 12 to earn a GM norm and exceed a rating of 2500.
In the recent Prodigies and Legends competition in Madrid, the young star ended unbeaten with 7.5/9, securing his first GM norm with a point and a half to spare. The player’s rating has reached 2509, establishing him as the youngest ever to cross the 2500 barrier.
The young champion now aims to secure his second and third GM norms in the next few months, and could make him the most junior GM ever, surpassing the existing record held by Mishra.
The prodigy’s forthcoming tournaments feature the World Cup in India, the Club Cup in Europe in the Hellenic Republic, and a invitational event in his home country.
Abhimanyu Mishra, the one who previously established the record in 2021, encountered difficulties and required several competitions before achieving the grandmaster title. Yet, recently, he proved his skill by nearly qualifying for the Candidates tournament.
Karjakin, a further past young grandmaster, previously had a memorable match with Magnus Carlsen in 2016, while Gukesh, currently the reigning world champion, as well boasts a place among the youngest grandmasters.
The Argentinian prodigy is known for his adaptable style, capable of excelling in long endings, positional games, quick agreements, and imaginative attacks.
Despite some speculation about event conditions, his performances in earlier competitions, like the Fujairah Masters, show his preparedness for the grandmaster tier.
Along with strong media backing and a memorable surname, Oro is viewed as a future global role model in chess, especially as current top players such as Carlsen move toward the end of their careers.
In other competitive chess news, the Team Championship in Europe will begin in Georgia’s Batumi, with the English team participating as the number six seeded team.
Their squad includes players like Vitiugov, Adams, Jones, Luke McShane, and Shreyas Royal, with GM William Watson as captain.
The German team, headed by Blübaum and Vincent Keymer, are the top seed and front-runners for the championship.
For the Ladies’ European Team Championship, England holds the twelfth position and is captained by Grandmaster Stuart Conquest.
Fans can view the games live and free on digital platforms like Lichess and the Chess.com platform.
Puzzle Solution: First Qxg7+! Kxg7 Second Bd8+! Kh8 Third Rg8+! Rxg8 Fourth Bf6+ Rg7 5 Bxg7+ Kg8 Sixth Bxd4+ Kf7 7 Rf1+ Ke7 Eighth Bxb2, and the white pieces emerge victorious.
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Douglas Lopez
| 06 Sep 2026
Douglas Lopez
| 06 Sep 2026
Douglas Lopez
| 06 Sep 2026
Douglas Lopez
| 06 Sep 2026
Douglas Lopez
| 06 Sep 2026