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Faustino Oro Is Officially a Grandmaster!

Faustino Oro, the 12-year-old Argentine prodigy known as the “Messi of Chess,” has officially been awarded the Grandmaster title by FIDE, making him the youngest current grandmaster in the world. His title was approved at the second FIDE Council meeting of 2026.

Oro completed all the requirements for the title at the Sardinia World Chess Festival on May 9, but the title became official only after FIDE Council approval on August 23.

At 12 years, 6 months, and 26 days, Oro becomes the second-youngest player ever to earn the GM title, behind Abhimanyu Mishra, who holds the all-time record.

He also surpassed former record-holder Sergey Karjakin, who became a GM at 12 years and seven months.

Oro’s rise has been remarkable. He earned his first GM norm in Madrid in 2025, where he also became the youngest player ever to cross 2500, before completing his second and third norms in Buenos Aires and Sardinia.

Now officially a GM, Oro is set for his next challenge at Legends & Prodigies II in Madrid, before representing Argentina at his first-ever Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.

The “Messi of Chess” has officially arrived!



📷: Michal Walusza / FIDE

“Chess Paid No Money at All” - Hikaru Nakamura

Speaking on his YouTube channel, GM Hikaru Nakamura opened up about why he started exploring poker and the stock market as a teenager.

In the 2000s, professional chess in the U.S. offered very little financial security. At just 15–16 years old, Hikaru began wondering whether chess could really provide a sustainable career.

With few major events in America and big opportunities largely reserved for the world’s elite, he started looking for other ways to make money.

“Chess paid no money at all.”

Since he didn’t attend regular school, pursuing a degree would have taken significant time. Instead, he spent time learning about poker and the stock market.

Hikaru also recalled that playing chess for money simply wasn’t common at the time.

Today, the chess world is a very different place, with major tournaments offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.



📷: Lennart Ootes

Nearly 600,000 New York City public school students will be barred from using artificial intelligence in the classroom and face strict new limits on screen time under a sweeping technology policy Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels are expected to unveil Wednesday. https://7ny.tv/mwGkBY