Twelve-year-old Argentinian chess prodigy IM Faustino Oro is one step closer to making history by becoming the youngest-ever grandmaster. On Tuesday, he scored another fantastic performance and achieved his second norm in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The norm was secured after the 12-year-old drew the eight-time Argentinian champion GM Diego Flores in the ninth and final round of the Szmetan-Giardelli Masters held in the Argentinian capital from December 8-16.
The game was drawn in a position where Oro could play for a win. However, the missed half point didn’t really matter, as a draw was all he needed to secure the norm.
Señores y señoras, @FaustiOro acaba de lograr su segunda norma de gran maestro a los 12 años, dos meses y dos días en el Magistral Szmetan Giardelli de #ajedrez.
Aplausos.Mi nota en @clarincom.https://t.co/RDjnxjPabK pic.twitter.com/kFuvF8etNK
— Hernán Sartori (@hernansartori) December 16, 2025
The 10-player round-robin tournament was won by Norwegian GM Aryan Tari with six points, edging out GM Ivan Cheparinov on tiebreaks. GM Alexei Shirov was half a point behind on 5.5 points. Oro also scored 5.5 points and finished fourth, scoring a performance rating of 2608, and picking up 13 rating points.
Final standings Szmetan-Giardelli Masters 2025
Oro had a flying start as he won his first two games.
After clinching the norm, the 12-year-old youngster spent half an hour in a crowded press room that was not only packed with journalists, but also fans and other masters who watched the youngster analyze the game with Flores and others for half an hour.
Speaking to Chess.com after the game, Flores said: “I feel very satisfied and happy. My intention was to try and fight for the game as hard as possible, especially for Faustino, so he could have the experience that these types of games are difficult, that you have to face someone who wants to win against you.”
“In our case, the draw was my choice, and that is a situation that happens a lot in chess tournaments,” he added.
The two Argentinian stars faced each other for the sixth time in classical chess in the last two years, with four of the games decisive. In the Argentinian Championship their encounter was won by Flores, but in Punta del Este earlier this year, both games were won by the prodigy.
“It seems important to me that he faces these kinds of moments, with someone who truly wants to beat him. I am happy because I feel that I was able to fight the game out, that I was close to getting a good advantage and he defended very well. I think this will be good for his competitive maturation,” the Argentinian champion said.
It seems important to me that he faces these kinds of moments, with someone who truly wants to beat him.
—Diego Flores
Faustino Oro se enfrenta hoy a Diego Flores. Con un empate en esta partida, Faustino aseguraría la norma de Gran Maestro. ¡Vamos, Fausti!
Torneo Szmetan-Giardelli 🏆Leandro Plotinsky MI Benjamin Mela pic.twitter.com/ZrgYZvNZyc
— Chess.com en Español (@chesscom_es) December 16, 2025
The Norwegian winner Tari had no problems accepting that he wasn’t the main story of the event, telling Chess.com: “He’s super-talented and he seems to be doing a lot of things right. I have the impression that he has a lot of coaches, as he is well prepared in the opening.”
The 26-year-old, who has previously worked as a second for GM Anish Giri, is now working with GM Fabiano Caruana and was himself dubbed a prodigy when he scored his first GM norm at the age of 13. In 2017, he became the world junior champion.
“I still think he needs some time to achieve grandmaster level, but in general the sky is the limit,” Tari said about the Argentinian prodigy.
Former World Champion Veselin Topalov has previously expressed his admiration for Oro. Shirov joined his former rival in praise after being unable to achieve more than a draw.
Speaking to the Argentinian newspaper Infobae last week, the legendary grandmaster, who was ranked world number-two in the 90s, said:
“Faustino Oro has exceptional talent; in the history of chess, no one has ever reached his level at 12 years old. Even Magnus Carlsen—for many, the best player ever seen—reached it later, after the age of 13.”
Faustino Oro is an exceptional talent; in the history of chess, no one has ever reached his level at 12 years old.
—Alexei Shirov
The Latvian-born Spaniard was asked what surprises him with the prodigy. “I’m surprised he’s reached this level with such a versatile playing style. And he didn’t do it at 12, but at 11, because a year ago he was already a fully-formed and complete player. And that is truly impressive,” he told Infobae.
Shirov correctly predicted that he would score his norm. “He already plays like a grandmaster; like a complete and universal player, he handles all styles, so it’s clear that he will surely be a chess player with an Elo rating above 2700,” Shirov said.
Today his performance even caught the eyes of none other than the 13th world champion.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 16, 2025
The second grandmaster norm is another extraordinary achievement by the young star, 2.5 months after scoring his first grandmaster norm in Legends & Prodigies in Madrid, shattering two records set by GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu along the way.
In the FIDE World Cup in India last month he had an excellent performance, knocking out GM Ante Brkic before he had GM Vidit Gujrathi hanging on and needing two extra rapid games to eliminate him.
Oro has been rewriting the history books ever since his breakthrough as a nine-year-old, when he first crossed 2200. He then broke the 2300 barrier as well, the youngest in history to do so at the time. Back then he also shattered the record as the youngest to ever score an international master norm, becoming the first player to do so before turning 10.
In other words, Oro has been breaking records left and right and has now secured two grandmaster norms just two months after turning 12. He’s well on the path to achieving another one and picking up the highest title in chess, though the third norm will have to be in an open tournament.
GM Abhimanyu Mishra‘s record as the youngest-ever grandmaster is within reach. Mishra achieved his title at 12 years, four months, 25 days, while Oro currently is 12 years, two months, and two days. That means he has almost three months to score the third and final norm.
Yet, the young star insists the records themselves are not his focus. In an interview with ICC a few months ago, before his first norm, he said:
“I’m not very interested in records. Obviously, being the youngest player to hit 2500 made me happy. Being the second youngest in getting a norm, up there with the World Champion, is exciting. But I am not even planning my schedule around getting this record, you know? It would be nice to have it, but I am not going to change my ways to get it.”
He added: “I want to play well. I want to have fun—and I am having plenty of it. And then come the long-term goals, yes,” he said.
I’m not very interested in records. (…) I want to have fun—and I am having plenty of it.
—Faustino Oro
Faustino Oro se acerca a firmar autógrafos tras finalizar su primera partida contra Mareco. Incluso un hombre le suplica que le firme un tablero, a lo que Faustino accede gustoso.
La gente lo busca, lo quiere ver y Fausti siempre está.
¡Un distinto! pic.twitter.com/iO49IoEjM6
— Pablo Gowezniansky (@AjedrezdPrimera) November 15, 2025
As can be seen in the video from the Argentinian Championship above, Oro’s games are drawing crowds in his native country. Regardless of records, his future is bright.
The 12-year-old will next be in action at the World Rapid & Blitz Championships on December 26-30 in Doha, Qatar. He then plays the Tata Steel Chess Challengers on January 17-February 1.
