The fight against time of the prodigy Faustino Oro

Being 12 years old and wanting time to stand still isn't common. But Faustino Oro isn't your average kid. This Argentine, who blew out his candles on Tuesday, is a chess prodigy. His rivals and coaches say so, but above all, his results. Since the pandemic forced him to learn the game, young Fausti, popularly dubbed the Messi of chess , hasn't stopped breaking records held by the best in history.

A few weeks ago, he took the first step toward achieving one of the most coveted titles among chess players: Gold, at the Leyendas y Prodigios tournament held in Madrid, earned the first norm (of three) to become a FIDE grandmaster (GM). Now he aims to beat Indian-American Abhimanyu Mishra, who achieved the title at 12 years, four months, and 25 days old. The goal is to perform at a 2,600 ELO level in two more tournaments. March 10, 2026, is the deadline. If he achieves it, he will be the youngest GM in history. Every minute counts.

"He already has the level to achieve it, but certain circumstances must be met," Tomás Sosa, Gold's trainer until a few months ago, reflected to La Vanguardia . "I don't think he's desperately seeking it. When he achieved the International Master title—the title before GM and for which he holds the record for precocity—he was a little more interested," he concluded.

The achievements of this young prodigy are now universally recognized; there's no one even remotely interested in the science of sports who isn't aware of his outrageous exploits. Such as beating Magnus Carlsen (he's also defeated the American Nakamura, number two in classical and blitz), the quintessential chess genius, something Oro's own entourage has downplayed.

In Madrid he achieved the first of three norms to become GM in the Legends and Prodigies tournament.

Oro's life has changed completely since a Hollywood-style love story began during the pandemic. His mother forced his father to teach him how to play so he'd stop destroying the house playing soccer . He was only 7 years old. That's when the magic began. Fausti began to improve exponentially without any prior training, something so extraordinary that when Sosa took him under his wing, he decided to record all his sessions to immortalize something he felt the world shouldn't miss. "He has a unique or very rare talent. You put him in any position, and in a few seconds he finds his bearings very easily. Things that other grandmasters or very strong players take a few minutes to do, and he sees it very quickly," says Sosa.

“He's more precocious than Carlsen—but also than Fisher or Kasparov—and is more or less on par with the achievements of Gukesh, who is the last world champion (as well as the youngest in history to have achieved it). He's a very special kid; he clearly has a unique talent for this, and he also works very hard and progresses very quickly.”

Oro has been the best player in the U-8, U-9, U-10, U-11, and U-12 categories by a wide margin. And right now, at 12 years old, he holds the highest ELO ranking of any child under 14.

Oro's talent prompted his family to make important life decisions, such as moving from Argentina to Badalona last year. Here, they've found the ideal environment to hone his talent. But it's also a place to protect him from the ever-increasing media pressure, especially from an Argentina that maintains a relationship with him similar to that of Messi before he became a world champion. In fact, the family keeps his current coach a secret.

He has moved from Buenos Aires to Badalona and his family keeps his coach's name a secret.

"He'll probably be a grandmaster next year. In two years, maybe sooner, he'll reach 2,600 ELO, which would put him near the top 100. He has talent, work, and attitude too, but this isn't math," Sosa concludes.

No one will be able to take away from this youngster the title of youngest player to achieve the title of International Master (he was only 10 years, 8 months, and 16 days old, and he broke the record of the aforementioned Abhimanyu Mishra). But now he wants, quietly, to take another step in a story that has thrilled the world over. That will be just the next step.