The 12-year-old Argentinian sensation Faustino Oro just notched his second Grandmaster norm, putting him on the fast track to smash history books. At the Szmetan-Giardelli Masters in Buenos Aires from December 8-16, the young International Master drew with eight-time Argentinian champion GM Diego Flores in the final round, sealing a stellar performance rating of 2608.
This puts Oro, now 12 years, two months, and two days old, closer than ever to dethroning GM Abhimanyu Mishra’s record as the youngest-ever GM at 12 years, four months, and 25 days.
Szmetan-Giardelli Masters Gets Faustino Oro Closer To Victory
The Szmetan-Giardelli Masters buzzed with excitement from the start. Oro kicked off with wins in his first two games, climbing to 5.5 points and fourth place in the 10-player round-robin. Norwegian GM Aryan Tari took first on tiebreaks over GM Ivan Cheparinov, with GM Alexei Shirov close behind at 5.5.
But all eyes were on Faustino Oro, who drew Flores in a position where he could have pushed for more, yet the half-point was enough for the norm. Post-game, a packed press room saw the kid analyse with masters and fans for 30 minutes, showing his cool under pressure.
Already Earning Praises From Chess Legends
Diego Flores praised the draw, saying he fought hard to test Oro’s mettle: “It seems important that he faces these kinds of moments, with someone who truly wants to beat him.” The two have clashed six times in classical chess lately, with Oro winning twice. Tari, the winner, called him “super-talented” with sky-high potential, while Shirov marvelled: “No one has reached his level at 12, even Magnus Carlsen did it later.” Even Garry Kasparov noticed. Oro’s versatile style and preparation stand out, breaking barriers since age nine when he first hit 2200 and became the youngest IM norm holder before 10.
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This norm came just 2.5 months after his first in Madrid, where he shattered Praggnanandhaa’s records. At the FIDE World Cup, he ousted GM Ante Brkic and pushed GM Vidit Gujrathi to the brink. Records? Oro stays grounded. In a recent ICC interview, he said: “I’m not very interested in records… I want to play well. I want to have fun, and I am having plenty of it.” Fans swarm him in Argentina, begging for autographs on boards.
With two norms down, Faustino Oro needs one more in an open tournament, and his charge feels like pure cinema. Stay tuned; this prodigy is rewriting chess history, one precise move at a time.
Also read: Who Is Faustino Oro? The 12-Year-Old FIDE World Cup Sensation
