Faustino Oro

[Roger de Coverly]

Today's Guardian column is mostly about Faustino Oro who may set a new record for world's youngest GM in the near future.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... at-just-11

Leonard wrote a paragraph testing the Guardian's notorious historic ability to misspell words in its print edition.

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]

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?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Has a certain former world champion insinuated that he is cheating yet?

[Chris Goodall]

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.

If that's the case then he missed a trick by going with Kasimdzhanov and not Qasimjonov. "That guy who starts with Q..."

[Joey Stewart]

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?

Undoubtedly yes, you could pen out invitations to ten other players in the time it took to write his unnecessarily long and unwieldly name - probably what spurred him on, maybe it's the same for the likes of Nepo, pragg etc as well, they needed to work extra hard to get recognised because their surnames definitely do them no favours.

It's also why oro could be a mega star in the future, he's not just born with great talent but a solid name that everyone can say with ease.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Don't forget the biscuit sponsorship possibilities. Or indeed anything with "Gold" (Oro) in the name!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

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.

[LawrenceCooper]

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.

Halving out for a norm isn't so unusual but doing it from round 3 is.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

He beat the two IMs and drew with the 7 GMs. That is... somewhat unusual but not overly so. Surprised that the other two IMs played Oro first and then each other in the final round. Not looked at the games themselves yet.

[Mick Norris]

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

TWIC

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.

[NickFaulks]

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

The best part of this news is that he can now concentrate on playing chess, rather than aiming for a particular score.

[James Plaskett]

I played him with black in a Rapids event in Beniajan five days ago. Pretty sure his father was with him.
I think the game my be on line some place. I´ll see if I may locate it.
I missed a win in the ending and he hung on to draw.

[Geoff Chandler]

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.
https://www.chess.com/events/ii-memoria ... ett_H_James

[Event "2nd Emilio Sanchez Jerez Memorial 2026"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2026.08.29"] [Round "08"] [White "Oro, Faustino"] [Black "Plaskett, H James"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2561"] [BlackElo "2384"] [TimeControl "10+5"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. Qe2 Nge7 6. Bg2 b6 7. O-O Bb7 8. c3 Qd7 9. Na3 g6 10. e5 Bg7 11. Bf4 h6 12. h4 Ba6 13. Rfd1 g5 14. hxg5 Ng6 15. Be3 hxg5 16. Bxg5 Ncxe5 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. c4 Kf8 19. Nc2 Re8 20. b4 dxc4 21. d4 Nd3 22. bxc5 Bb7 23. Qf1 Bxg2 24. Qxg2 bxc5 25. dxc5 Bxa1 26. Rxa1 Nxc5 27. Ne3 Qd4 28. Rd1 Qe4 29. Bf6 Rh6 30. Bd4 Qxg2+ 31. Kxg2 Ne4 32. Nxc4 Rh5 33. Bxa7 Rd5 34. Rh1 Kg7 35. Be3 e5 36. a4 Nd6 37. Nb6 Ra5 38. Bd2 Ra6 39. a5 Ne4 40. Bb4 Nf6 41. Rd1 Re6 42. Bc3 Ne4 43. Be1 Rc6 44. Rd5 f6 45. Rd3 Kf7 46. Bb4 Ke6 47. Re3 Nd6 48. Rd3 Nc4 49. Na4 Kf5 50. Nc5 Ra7 51. a6 Rb6 52. Be1 Rb5 53. Rd7 Ra8 54. Rc7 Nb6 55. Nb7 Kg6 56. Nd6 Rb1 57. Bd2 Rxa6 58. Rc6 Rba1 59. Rc7 Nd5 60. Rd7 R6a2 61. Nc4 Nb6 62. Nxb6 Rd1 63. Nc4 Rc2 64. Nxe5+ fxe5 65. Rd6+ Kf5 66. Bb4 Rxd6 67. Bxd6 e4 68. Bf4 Kg4 69. Be3 Rb2 70. Ba7 Re2 71. Be3 Re1 72. Bd4 Rb1 73. Be3 Rb7 74. Bd4 Rb3 75. Be3 Rb7 76. Bd4 Rb3 77. Be3 Rb7 1/2-1/2

[NickFaulks]

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.

You get that a lot in databases. It is annoying because it is hard to distinguish between serious games where opening moves matter and online blitz where people will play anything.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Jim's game against an adolescent Kamsky at Lloyds Bank, though, is worth seeing again!