Getting closer: Faustino Oro was one step away from the record :: Olé

At just 10 years, eight months and 15 days, Faustino Oro (2351 ELO) is one step away from making history. Although he forced himself to avoid the simple path (match with speed) towards the third rule that led him to be the youngest International Master (IM) in historythe Argentine prodigy could not win in any of the two rounds he played this Saturday at the ITT IM Barcelona. Indeed, he will have to wait until Sunday to try to write one of the most glorious pages of international chess.

Fausti, who accumulates an undefeated streak of 30 classical gamesused a clear strategy: finish the first match quickly and then go all-in on the second match of the day. In that sense, he started the day with a draw with the black pieces against Xavier Mompel Ferruz, FIDE Master of Equatorial Guinea and with 2279 ELO, in just 14 moves. And then he sought a victory for the white pieces against the Spanish FIDE Master Cesar Alcala González (2274).

However, he did not come out of the opening in a comfortable way and he prioritized keeping his queens to have more chances in the middlegame. However, his opponent did not fail at the critical moments, he used his time well to calculate the main variations and left the Argentine with almost no opportunities. In the end, both reached an even endgame with a rook and five pawns each side that ended in a draw.

After failing to dethrone the record for the shortest IM held by American Abhimanyu Mishra, who set it at 10 years, nine months and three days at the Madrid Chess Festival, the Buenos Aires native who has now settled on the outskirts of Barcelona with his family is trying again. And now you are one step away from achieving this.

In the last round, Oro will face the International Master Fernando Valenzuela (2358) with the black pieces and knows that Two results lead him to the record. A draw or a win would allow the team to reach the minimum 6.5 points required (currently 6) for the standard.

Starting at 5 on Sunday, the final round of the tournament can be seen through the live board provided by the platforms. Chess.com and Lichess.

• R1: victory vs. GM Hipolito Asis Gargatagli (2472)

• R2: victory vs. FM Carles Martin Barcelo (2234)

• R3: victory vs. FM Samuel Malka (2211)

• R4: draw vs. FM Guerau Masague (2345)

• R5: tie vs. IM Cristian Hernandez (2350)

• R6: victory vs. FM Alex Villa Tornero (2321)

• R7: tie vs. FM Xavier Mompel Ferruz (2279)

• R8: tie vs. Cesar Alcala González (2274)

• R9: Sunday at 5 vs. Fernando Valenzuela (2358)