Who Is Faustino Oro: 11-Year-Old 'Messi of Chess' Aiming For A GCL Spot

India is abuzz with the prospective arrival of Lionel Messi, the Argentine football legend, for a big tour of the country in the coming weeks. For a lot of football fans in India, that in itself makes 2025 a special year.

However, in less than a decade, 2025 in India might be looked back on for the arrival of another Messi-esque talent from Argentina, Faustino Oro. Known as the ‘Messi of Chess’, Oro is an International Master (IM), named among the 12 Grandmasters and International Masters who are set to compete for a place in this year’s Global Chess League.

He has joined the GCL Contenders 2025 Knockout Challengers Round this month. The participants will face qualifiers from earlier rounds for three coveted spots at GCL season 3 at the Royal

Opera House in Mumbai from December 13 to 24.

‘Fausti’ has shattered multiple age-related records already. At just nine, he became the youngest player ever to reach a FIDE rating of 2300 and to achieve the IM norm. In March 2024, he stunned the chess world by defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a bullet game, further cementing his reputation as a generational talent.

By 2024, with a FIDE rating of 2330, Oro was the world’s highest-rated player under 12 and went on to secure his second IM norm at the Continental American Championship, continuing his rapid ascent in world chess. In early 2025, he became the world’s youngest-ever player to cross the 2500 Elo.

“GCL Contenders is designed to connect the entire chess ecosystem, from everyday players to professionals, on a single competitive platform. The arrival of Grandmasters and International Masters in this round reflects exactly that spirit. It’s a global, inclusive format that redefines what open competition can mean for the sport,” Gourav Rakshit, Commissioner, Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, said in a statement.

Commenting on the occasion, Padmini Rout said, “The GCL Contenders is a fantastic idea. It gives everyone, from rising players to professionals, a chance to compete on the same stage. The format is fresh and competitive, and I’m really looking forward to matching up against some incredible rising women chess stars and seeing how far I can go.”