Argentinian chess prodigy Faustino Oro, known as the 'Messi of Chess,' is poised to achieve his third grandmaster norm at the Aeroflot Open in Moscow. At 12 years old, success there would make him the youngest grandmaster in history, surpassing Abhimanyu Mishra's record. Oro, a self-taught player, has already notched impressive feats, including defeating Magnus Carlsen in an online game.
Faustino Oro has emerged as a standout talent in chess, earning the nickname 'Messi of Chess' for his prodigious skills. The 12-year-old Argentinian, also called 'Fausti' or 'el pibe de oro,' became the youngest to reach a 2300 Elo rating in 2023 and earned the International Master title in 2024. He made history as the first 11-year-old to achieve a 2500 rating and, at the recent Chess World Cup in Goa, became the youngest player to win a game there by defeating Croatia's Ante Brkić in the first round. In 2024, Oro even beat world champion Magnus Carlsen in an online bullet game.
Oro begins his pursuit of the final grandmaster norm at the Aeroflot Open in Moscow, starting on Saturday after the article's publication on February 28, 2026. The tournament features a strong field of 51 grandmasters and 58 international masters. Achieving the norm would cement Oro's place among chess elites and break American Abhimanyu Mishra's record as the youngest grandmaster.
FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky highlighted Oro's potential, naming him among three players likely to enter the top 10 by decade's end. Sutovsky noted Carlsen's high regard for Oro, stating, “Magnus also was of a very high opinion of Oro few days ago and now he’s of (Yagiz Kaan) Erdogmus. I think all these guys are exceptional talents... Both Erdogmus and Oro would make into top 10 that’s for sure. Top five very likely... But to be a dominating player like Magnus is very difficult feat.”
In an October interview with Firstpost ahead of the Chess World Cup, Oro expressed focus on improvement over records: “I prepare for tournaments. I’m trying to improve all the days a bit. And in the tournaments, I try to focus on the next game and try to win. I’m not really focused on the record of the youngest Grandmaster. I want to be a Grandmaster. But well, my goal is to be a world champion.”
Carlsen, 35, remains dominant but has limited classical play since 2023, prompting discussions on chess's future post-Carlsen.
