Argentine chess prodigy Faustino Oro has earned the second Grandmaster (GM) norm of his career after a strong performance in a closed round-robin tournament featuring several experienced elite players. The 12-year-old International Master finished fourth with 5.5 points out of 9, achieving a performance rating of 2608—just enough to meet the GM norm requirement.
Oro secured the norm by drawing his final-round game against Argentine GM Diego Flores. The game arose from a complex middlegame position in which Oro held a slight advantage but opted for a draw, ensuring he reached the required score. With this result, Oro continues his rapid progression toward the GM title and remains on pace to challenge the record for the youngest grandmaster in chess history.
The tournament featured a strong field dominated by seasoned grandmasters. Norwegian GM Aryan Tari won the event with 6 points out of 9, edging Bulgarian GM Ivan Cheparinov on Sonneborn–Berger tiebreak. Former world title challenger Alexei Shirov finished third with 5.5 points, narrowly ahead of Oro on tiebreaks. Flores, Julio Granda, and Sandro Mareco were among the other notable participants.
Oro’s path through the tournament was notable for both consistency and composure. He opened with two victories against fellow Argentine International Masters Ilan Schnaider and Tomas Darcyl, immediately placing himself among the leaders. From that point on, he drew all seven remaining games, each against a grandmaster opponent. His opponents included Tari, Shirov, Cheparinov, Flores, Granda, Mareco, and Sergio Slipak.
Drawing every grandmaster he faced, Oro demonstrated a high level of defensive accuracy and positional understanding against far more experienced players. None of the grandmasters were able to defeat him, and several games featured complex middlegame struggles where Oro held his own without excessive risk. His final score of 5.5 points produced a performance rating of 2608, comfortably above the 2600 threshold required for a GM norm.
The result also had a significant impact on Oro’s rating. Entering the event with a FIDE rating of 2503, he gained 13.2 points, further strengthening his position above the 2500 level. This rating benchmark is a mandatory requirement for the GM title, alongside the completion of three GM norms.
At just 12 years and 2 months old—born on October 14, 2013—Oro now has a limited but realistic window to break the long-standing age record held by American grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra. Mishra earned his GM title at the age of 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days. Oro has until March 11, 2026, to complete one additional GM norm in order to surpass that mark.
Statistically, Oro’s tournament was defined by balance rather than volatility. He scored two wins, seven draws, and no losses. While his score may appear modest compared to the tournament winner, the strength of opposition was high throughout. Facing only grandmasters after the first two rounds, Oro maintained an undefeated record, which was sufficient under FIDE regulations to earn the norm.
Final standings reflected the narrow margins at the top of the table. Tari and Cheparinov tied on points but were separated by tiebreaks. Shirov, Oro, and Flores all finished on 5.5 points, with Oro placing fourth due to slightly lower Sonneborn–Berger scores. Despite missing the podium, Oro’s result was one of the most closely watched outcomes of the event.
With two GM norms now completed, Oro needs only one more to qualify for the grandmaster title, assuming he maintains the required rating. Given his age, rating trajectory, and recent performances against elite opposition, he remains one of the strongest candidates ever to challenge the youngest-GM record.
Background information
- Faustino Oro became the youngest International Master in history in 2024.
- He earned his first GM norm at the Legends & Prodigies tournament in Madrid in 2025.
- He has crossed the 2500 FIDE rating threshold and has defeated top players in online formats.
- Oro has been widely recognized in Argentina and internationally as one of the most promising young talents in modern chess.
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