Argentina’s Faustino Oro is rewriting chess history at just 11 years old. The prodigy, often dubbed the “Messi of Chess” back home, has crossed the 2500 rating barrier and clinched his first Grandmaster norm — with two rounds to spare — at the Legends & Prodigies invitational in Madrid.
Through seven rounds, Oro has scored an astonishing 6 points, defeating grandmasters José “Pepe” Cuenca, David Lariño, and Alan Pichot along the way. His performance rating of 2790 places him in elite company, and with two more GM norms still needed, he has now taken a giant step toward becoming the youngest grandmaster in history.
Oro’s run has been nothing short of remarkable. He opened the event with four straight wins, including a sharp victory over Chinese rising star Lu Miaoyi, who was eventually forced to withdraw from the tournament due to health concerns. His winning streak only ended in round five, when he was held to a draw by fellow Argentine teenager Ilan Schnaider. That set the stage for the pivotal round-six clash against Pichot.
Facing a countryman fifteen years older and far more experienced, Oro played the Spanish Four Knights with White. The middlegame turned tense, and Pichot briefly missed a chance to seize the advantage. Oro immediately punished the slip, unleashing a powerful tactical sequence that led to a decisive attack. At just 11, he had taken down one of Argentina’s strongest grandmasters — and seized sole leadership of the tournament.
“I think his understanding is still raw in some positions,” Pichot said afterward, reflecting on the loss. “But at some point he just becomes a machine, attacking relentlessly. Once he gains more experience in the opening phase, he could go very, very far.”
By round seven, Oro’s draw with Cuban GM Omar Almeida sealed the deal. With 6/7, he not only remained in first place but also officially earned his first GM norm.
Only one player in history, current World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh, has managed to reach this milestone at a younger age. Oro now holds the record as the youngest player ever to cross the 2500 mark in live rating, and he still has about five months to collect the two additional norms required to claim the grandmaster title. That gives him a realistic chance to surpass Abhimanyu Mishra’s record as the youngest GM ever (12 years, 4 months, 25 days).
The Madrid tournament itself has been designed to highlight a generational clash: five rising prodigies against five seasoned veterans. Beyond Oro’s dazzling rise, Julio Granda, the 58-year-old Peruvian legend, has shown flashes of his enduring class. Schnaider, just 14, has also impressed by drawing both Oro and Pichot.
For Oro, however, the story is bigger than Madrid. With a World Cup wildcard in his pocket, he is expected to face elite competition in the coming months, giving him further opportunities to accelerate his growth. His next two games in Madrid — against IM Martínez Reyes and GM Granda Zúñiga — will test whether he can cap off the event with a tournament victory on top of the historic milestone.
Watch the Leyendas & Prodigios 2025 (Legends and Prodigies) here
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