English Chess Forum

Oro has strong PR support, and that could please chess media looking for a global role model when Carlsen, who has just become the father of a baby boy, eventually retires. Oro has a short and easily memorable surname, which counts for something when his actual and potential rivals include Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Ian Nepomniachtchi and the new Russian talent Roman Shogdzhiev.

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 03, 2025 7:27 pm

Uzbek Rustam Kasimdzhanov once said that he was never invited to events more than once in the days before he suddenly became FIDE world champion, and he wondered whether his name was part of the problem.

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 03, 2025 7:27 pm

I saw that! A journalist's observation if ever there were one. Though there must be some truth in it. Uzbek Rustam Kasimdzhanov once said that he was never invited to events more than once in the days before he suddenly became FIDE world champion, and he wondered whether his name was part of the problem.

Will Leonard be pleased to see Giri win the candidates, then?

the norm is firmly in his own hands: a draw in the final round would be enough

If everything were to go Oro’s way and he were to win his last game with Black against Diego Flores—who has only recently become Argentina’s record national champion—he could secure not only the GM norm but also the tournament victory. For the GM norm, however, a draw would already be sufficient. At the recently concluded Argentine Championship, Oro did lose to Flores.

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 17, 2025 1:02 am

It looks like Faustino Oro has gained his second GM norm:

https://en.chessbase.com/post/will-faus ... -a-gm-norm

the norm is firmly in his own hands: a draw in the final round would be enough

If everything were to go Oro’s way and he were to win his last game with Black against Diego Flores—who has only recently become Argentina’s record national champion—he could secure not only the GM norm but also the tournament victory. For the GM norm, however, a draw would already be sufficient. At the recently concluded Argentine Championship, Oro did lose to Flores.

https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1209897 ... 0&SNode=S0

Round 9 result was a draw between Flores and Oro, so Oro has his second GM norm.

The tournament (Magistral Szmetan-Giardelli) was won by Aryan Tari.

Argentinian chess player Faustino Oro finally has become a Grandmaster after a six points from nine games performance at the Sardinia World Chess Festival. Oro had previous norms at the Legends and Prodigies tournament in September 2025 and the Magistral Szmetan-Giardelli in December 2025. Oro had been chasing the third and final mark since then but couldn't break Abhimanyu Mishra's record of 12 years, 4 months, 25 days. Oro finally got his title at age of 12 years, 6 months, 26 days, the second youngest in history beating third place Sergey Karjakin by a few days.

Youngest GMs in History
There are two records to pay attention to, how the age record has fallen over the years, and expanding the list of players who earned the title under the age of 14 since Bu Xiangzhi was the first in 1999.

Bobby Fischer held the record for about 33 years between 1958 and 1991 before Judit Polgar beat it. Sergey Karjakin held his record for 19 years between 2002 and 2021 before being passed by Abhimanyu Mishra. Mishra has held his record for about five years, I think that record is under threat.

Oro took the record for youngest ever IM in June 2024 at the age of 10 years, 8 months, and 16 days. That record has already been broken by Roman Shogdzhiev, in May 2025, at the age of 10 years, 3 months, and 21 days. Something seems to have changed recently and we're getting reports of young talents practically daily. None of this takes anything away from Oro who really looks to have what it takes to go far.

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Mon May 11, 2026 11:26 pm

Faustino achieved his 3rd GM norm in Sardinia on Sunday, according to FIDE that makes him the 2nd youngest GM in history

Geoff Chandler wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 03, 2026 8:44 am

This must be it al though it gives the impression it was played at 'chess.com' (where I picked it up from) in the Site tag.