Faustino Oro, the young Argentine chess prodigy born on October 14, 2013, has already made astonishing progress in his chess career. Despite being only 12 years old (as of November 2025), he has obtained one Grandmaster (GM) norm — a major milestone on his path to becoming a full Grandmaster.
Faustino Oro’s Chess Background
To understand the significance of his achievement, let’s first look at Oro’s chess pedigree. He is listed on Wikipedia as an International Master (IM), a title he earned in June 2024. By then, he was just 10 years, 8 months, and 16 days old — making him one of the youngest IMs ever, though that record was later broken.
Oro’s rating is rising fast: as of November 2025, his FIDE classical rating was 2495, and his peak rating in October 2025 reached 2509. He has already drawn widespread attention, being called the “Messi of chess” in Argentina, and even beating former world #1 Magnus Carlsen in a bullet (very fast time control) online event.
His First GM Norm
In September 2025, Oro participated in the Legends & Prodigies tournament in Madrid, Spain — a closed invitational event featuring five young prodigies and five veteran grandmasters. At this event, Oro delivered an extraordinary performance: he scored 7.5 out of 9 points, going undefeated.
According to ChessBase and other sources, Faustino Oro secured his first GM norm by the seventh round of this tournament. His performance rating in the event was reported to be 2759, according to Wikipedia’s summary, though some sources mention 2790 (or similar) in specific reporting.
In addition to the norm, he crossed the 2500 FIDE rating threshold during or right after this tournament, which is another key requirement for the GM title. According to Chess.com, his “live” rating during the tournament passed 2500, helping him satisfy FIDE’s rating requirement.
What Does FIDE Require for the GM Title?
Understanding Oro’s accomplishment requires a basic grasp of FIDE’s regulations for earning the Grandmaster (GM) title. According to the FIDE Title Regulations (effective January 2024):
- Norms: A player normally needs three GM norms to qualify for the GM title.
- Minimum rating: A player must also achieve a FIDE rating of at least 2500 at some point.
- Tournament conditions for norm:
- The opponents’ titles: For a GM norm, at least 1/3 of a player’s opponents in the event must be GMs, with a minimum of 3 GMs in the field.
- Opponents’ ratings: There is a floor on opponents’ ratings (adjusted rating floor) for norms. For a GM norm, the minimum adjusted rating is 2200.
- Performance rating: To earn a GM norm, a player must achieve a performance rating of at least 2600 in the norm-tournament.
- Number of games: Norm tournaments should, in total, cover a certain number of games (for example, norms in events covering at least 27 games when multiple events are used).
These rules ensure that norms are not “too easy”: a player must perform at a very high level, face strong opposition, and maintain consistency.
Putting It Together: Oro’s Current Status
- GM Norms Earned: 1 (from Legends & Prodigies 2025).
- Rating Achievement: He has crossed 2500 FIDE (or at least “live” 2500) during that tournament.
- Remaining Requirements: Since he needs three norms in total, Oro still needs two more GM norms, assuming he maintains or surpasses the required performance levels in future tournaments.
This aligns with what multiple sources report: after earning his first norm, he now “needs only two more norms to earn the grandmaster title.”
Significance and Future Prospects
This is a remarkable achievement, especially considering his age. Securing a GM norm at 11 years old is extremely rare. According to Chess.com reports, Oro became one of the third-youngest players ever to earn a GM norm, behind only Illia Nyzhnyk and Gukesh Dommaraju.
Also, his performance rating of around 2759–2790 in Madrid shows not just competence, but real dominance against strong, titled opponents. That kind of performance suggests that he is not just chasing norms passively — he’s competing at a very high level.
ChessBase further notes that Oro has until around March 2026 to aim for his remaining norms, given the structure of his schedule and his current trajectory. If he succeeds, he could challenge Abhimanyu Mishra’s record as the youngest GM ever (Mishra became a GM at age 12 years, 4 months, 25 days).
FAQ: How Many GM Norms Has Faustino Oro Gotten?
1. How many GM norms does Faustino Oro currently have?
Faustino Oro has one GM norm, which he earned at the Legends & Prodigies 2025 tournament in Madrid.
2. How many GM norms are required to become a Grandmaster?
A player must earn three GM norms and reach a 2500 FIDE rating at some point to receive the GM title.
3. Has Oro reached the 2500 FIDE rating requirement?
Yes. Oro crossed the 2500 rating mark in late 2025, fulfilling the rating requirement for the GM title.
4. How old was Oro when he earned his first GM norm?
He was 11 years old, making him one of the youngest players ever to achieve a GM norm.
5. What tournament gave Oro his GM norm?
He earned it at the Legends & Prodigies 2025 closed invitational event held in Madrid, Spain.
6. What performance rating did Oro achieve for his GM norm?
Reports place his performance rating between 2759 and 2790, far above the minimum 2600 required for a GM norm.
7. Is Faustino Oro already a Grandmaster?
No. He is currently an International Master (IM). He still needs two more GM norms to officially become a GM.
8. What makes Oro’s GM norm achievement special?
He became one of the three youngest players in history to earn a GM norm, behind only Illia Nyzhnyk and Gukesh Dommaraju.
9. What are the official FIDE conditions for earning a GM norm?
To earn a GM norm, a player must:
- Achieve a 2600+ performance rating during the event
- Face enough titled opponents, including at least 3 Grandmasters
- Play opponents who meet rating-floor requirements
- Earn norms across tournaments totaling at least 27 games
10. Could Faustino Oro break the record for youngest Grandmaster?
Yes, it is still possible. If he earns two more GM norms soon, he could challenge the current record held by Abhimanyu Mishra (12 years, 4 months, 25 days).
11. What recent accomplishments show Oro’s strength?
- Became the youngest player ever to reach 2500
- Defeated Magnus Carlsen in an online Bullet Brawl
- Won a match at the 2025 Chess World Cup, the youngest ever to do so
12. When might he get his next GM norms?
This depends on tournament invitations, performance, and opportunities. Given his rapid improvement, many experts believe he may secure his remaining norms within the next year.
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