Three kilometers from the Cybele Fountainmythical headquarters of the recurring celebrations of the fans of real Madrid. Two and a half kilometers from Santiago Bernabeu, the White House stadium of Spanish football. And 10 thousand kilometers from Buenos Aires, where she was born on October 14, 2013 as a fruit of the love between mother Romina and father Alejandro. There, in Madrid, this Saturday Faustino Oro For now, he was left at the door of accomplishing one of the greatest feats in the history of chess: being the youngest international master of all time.
At the Ajedrez con Cabeza club, located in the Madrid district of Chamberí, the Argentine kid needed to beat the Spanish international master Alex Garrido Outon with the white pieces to add the 5.5 points that would give him the third and final standard of international master, the title prior to that of grandmaster.
But Faustino could never achieve the initiative, was close to losing and in the end he rescued some valuable boards for finish third and undefeated in the B tournament of the Madrid Chess Festival, with 5 units in 9 rounds, the result of a win and eight draws. Furthermore, his performance scandalously exceeded his ELO of 2,351 points in the world ranking.
With 10 years, 8 months and one day of life, Fausti could not unseat the American precocity record Abhimanyu Mishrainternational master since he was 10 years, 9 months and 3 days old, who also holds the honor of being grandmaster since he was 12 years, 4 months and 25 days old, the youngest age at which a human being achieved the greatest title in world chess .
The title of international teacher that Faustino is seeking will come, that is, when he completes his third standard. The first was achieved in ITT Comodoro Rivadavia City Cup last September, when he was second with 6.5 points in 9 wheels. And the second, with an extraordinary level, was obtained at the end eighth and undefeated in the recent Continental de Medellínwith 8.5 on 11 wheels.
In the Madrid competition last Thursday he defeated the Spanish grandmaster David Lariño Nieto (2388) in an overwhelming way due to his rival’s error in the opening. And his eight draws were against the great masters José Gascón Del Nogal (Venezuela, 2474) and Aramis Álvarez Pedraza (Cuba, 2452); international masters Garrido Outon (2,406), Aleksandr Ostrovskiy (United States, 2,400), Sabrina Vega (Spain, 2,368) and Eric Rosen (United States, 2,361); and the FIDE masters Pedro Martínez Reyes (Venezuela, 2325) and Miguel Ruiz Buendía (Spain, 2304).
Faustino started playing on-line to chess in the middle of the pandemic and little by little he became passionate about it until he became Pan American Under 10 champion. And when he saw dad Alejandro with the game he told him that it was boring. But mom Romina suggested that she show him the movements so that he could concentrate and at least not hit the living room with balls, like every soccer kid. The rest is this phenomenal present.
He was number one in the world at 8 and 9 years old, and he is today at 10, with a scandalous difference compared to kids his age. In April 2023 he became the youngest FIDE master in history9 and a half years old.
According to the data published by Carlos Ilardo, a historic journalist specialized in chess, for now the man from Salta Pablo Acosta He is the one who achieved the title of international master at the earliest age among Argentines: it was at 14 years and 9 months, after winning the South American U18 in Uruguay, in 2014.
Regarding precocity among compatriots, they follow Alan Pichotat 15 years and 2 months in 2013; Federico Pérez Ponsa, at 15 years and 7 months in 2009; and Joaquin Fioritoat 15 years and 10 months in 2023.
Another brand for history
Faustino Oro was the youngest human being in history to first surpass 2,200 ELO points and then 2,300. And now, according to the Norwegian specialist Tarjei Svensenalmost biographer of Magnus Carlsenthe king of world chess, the Argentine will be the fourth chess player to cross the 2,400 point barrier under 11 years old.
The record is held by the Uzbek Nodirbek Abdusattorovsixth in the ranking, and the Indian also achieved it Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (8th) and Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov (55°).
How is this conclusion reached? Easy. Faustino has an ELO of 2,351 and his extraordinary performance in the Continental earned him 48 more points. So he started playing in Madrid with 2,399. And now it added 18.6 points more, so it crossed 2,400 easily. The issue is that this brand will only officially appear in the International Federation ranking when July starts.
To enhance their life as a chess player, obviously without abandoning their school training, accountants Alejandro Oro and Romina Simondi decided at the end of last year to give up their top jobs at Laboratorios Bagó and Tecpetrol to settle in Spain with their son. That country is full of tournaments of a very high level and that is what Faustino needs to improve, in addition to his study and training with five teachers, thanks to the support of anonymous patrons.
Fausti Gold is already part of the great history of world chess. It is a matter of time before he becomes an international teacher, with or without a record of precocity. The most important thing is not to put too much pressure on him and his family and his coaches take care of that.
He is not “the Messi of chess.” Enough of that nonsense. He is a genius who loves this game. It is a diamond that has much more brilliance to offer ahead. He is a 10 year old boy. Let no one lose sight of this…
