Argentine prodigy Faustino Oro has become the second-youngest Grandmaster in history after securing his final norm at the Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026.
At 12 years, 6 months and 26 days old, the Buenos Aires-born player reached the highest title awarded by FIDE. He trails only Abhimanyu Mishra, who set the record in 2021.
The decisive moment came in round eight of the tournament in Sardinia, Italy. Oro defeated Poland’s Bartlomiej Niedbala to remain unbeaten, then was paired in the final round against Ian Nepomniachtchi.
That pairing mathematically guaranteed the final norm, as the Russian’s high rating ensured Oro’s performance would stay above the 2600 threshold required by FIDE, regardless of the result.
The Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026 is held from May 3 to 10 in Orosei, Italy. The Open A section features more than 150 players competing in a nine-round Swiss format with a classical time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment. The event offers a €50,100 prize fund and is considered the strongest edition in the tournament’s history, led by top seed Nepomniachtchi.
After eight rounds, Oro remained unbeaten with six points, recording four wins and four draws. His victories came against Gerhard Lorscheid, Alexis Tahay, Guido Caprio, and Niedbala, while he drew with Adharsh K., Murali Karthikeyan, Aditya Mittal, and Leon Mendonca.
Earlier in the tournament, a draw against Mendonca in round seven kept him on track for the norm. The win over Niedbala in round eight proved decisive, pushing him into position to complete the requirement.
FIDE regulations require players to achieve three Grandmaster norms and surpass a 2500 Elo rating. Each norm demands a performance rating above 2600 against strong international opposition in events with at least nine rounds and classical time controls.
Oro had already secured his first two norms in 2025, at the Legends & Prodigies tournament in Madrid and the Szmetan-Giardelli Masters in Argentina. Sardinia marked his third and final norm.
The result also confirms his rapid rise. In June 2024, Oro became the youngest International Master in history at 10 years, 8 months and 16 days. By May 2026, he reached a peak classical rating of 2528.
His achievements place him among the earliest Grandmasters ever, surpassing the mark set by Sergey Karjakin and joining a list of prodigies who reached the title before turning 14.
The Sardinia tournament, now in its third edition, continues to grow in stature. Belgian GM Daniel Dardha won the inaugural 2024 event, while American GM Christopher Yoo claimed the 2025 title. The 2026 edition adds FIDE Circuit points, increasing its importance on the international calendar.
Oro will play his final-round game against Nepomniachtchi on May 10. The result will not affect his Grandmaster title, which has already been secured.
Top 10 youngest Grandmasters in history
| Rank | Player | Country | Age at title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abhimanyu Mishra | USA | 12 years, 4 months, 25 days |
| 2 | Faustino Oro | Argentina | 12 years, 6 months, 26 days |
| 3 | Sergey Karjakin | Ukraine | 12 years, 7 months |
| 4 | Gukesh Dommaraju | India | 12 years, 7 months, 17 days |
| 5 | Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus | Türkiye | 12 years, 9 months, 29 days |
| 6 | Javokhir Sindarov | Uzbekistan | 12 years, 10 months, 5 days |
| 7 | R Praggnanandhaa | India | 12 years, 10 months, 13 days |
| 8 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | Uzbekistan | 13 years, 1 month, 11 days |
| 9 | Parimarjan Negi | India | 13 years, 4 months, 22 days |
| 10 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 13 years, 4 months, 27 days |
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