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Faustino Oro, this 11-year-old from Argentina chess sensation frequently called the “Chess Messi,” has achieved history by emerging as the first player under 12 to earn a GM norm and exceed a 2500 rating.

In the latest Legends and Prodigies tournament in Madrid, Oro finished unbeaten with 7.5/9, securing his first GM norm with 1.5 points to spare. His rating now stands at over 2500, making him the most youthful ever to break the 2500 mark.

Future Targets and Historic Ambitions

Oro now aims to secure his second and third grandmaster norms in the coming months, and could see him the youngest grandmaster ever, breaking the current world record held by Mishra.

The prodigy’s forthcoming events feature the Chess World Cup in India, the Club Cup in Europe in Greece, and a closed tournament in Argentina.

Historical Context

Abhimanyu Mishra, who previously set the record in 2021, faced difficulties and needed multiple competitions before securing the grandmaster title. However, recently, Mishra proved his talent by nearly qualifying for the Candidates tournament.

Sergey Karjakin, another past young grandmaster, previously had a notable match with Magnus Carlsen in the 2016 championship, while Gukesh Dommaraju, the sitting world champion, also boasts a place among the most youthful grandmasters.

Style of Play and Media Presence

Oro has a reputation for his versatile playing style, able to performing well in long endgames, strategic battles, fast agreements, and imaginative offensives.

In spite of some speculation about tournament setups, Oro’s performances in previous events, like the Fujairah Masters, show his preparedness for the grandmaster tier.

With solid media backing and a catchy surname, Oro is viewed as a potential global role model in the chess world, especially as current leading figures like Magnus Carlsen move toward the end of their careers.

Upcoming Events

In other chess updates, the European Team Championship is set to begin in Georgia’s Batumi, with England entering as the number six seed.

The team features players such as Nikita Vitiugov, Adams, Gawain Jones, Luke McShane, and Royal, with GM William Watson as team captain.

Germany, led by Blübaum and Keymer, is the top seeded and front-runners for the title.

In the Ladies’ European Championship, England holds the 12th position and will be captained by GM Conquest.

Viewers can view the matches in real time and free on online platforms like the Lichess site and the Chess.com platform.

Chess Puzzle Solution: 1 Qxg7+! Kxg7 Second Bd8+! Kh8 Third Rg8+! Rxg8 Fourth Bf6+ Rg7 5 Bxg7+ Kg8 6 Bxd4+ Kf7 7 Rf1+ Ke7 Eighth Bxb2, and the white pieces emerge victorious.