Carlsen personally hosted 12-year-old Argentine chess prodigy Faustino Oro at the headquarters of Take Take Take, his co-founded company in Oslo, Norway, on 6/1. During his visit, Faustino participated in a joint interview and played a friendly rapid chess match against the world's number one player. Although Carlsen won the exhibition game, he expressed admiration for Faustino's talent.
"Faustino is much better than Messi, if we consider them at the same age of 12", the Norwegian chess grandmaster stated. "The boy is on the right path, and the most important thing is for him to enjoy this journey. There will come a day when Messi himself will feel fortunate to be compared to him".
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Faustino during a friendly rapid chess game with Magnus Carlsen. Photo: La Derecha Diario
When asked about Carlsen's remarks, Faustino agreed, yet remained humble. "I play for enjoyment and to improve daily", the boy stated in fluent English. "I also really enjoy football and am captivated when watching Messi play".
Carlsen, who holds 20 world championship titles across three formats—5 in standard, 6 in rapid, and 9 in blitz—was captivated by Faustino's strategic thinking. The Norwegian grandmaster remarked, "I personally consider him an excellent player with a sharp tactical vision, which is exceptionally rare in such young players. It truly feels like Faustino loves and lives for chess".
Although currently an International Master (IM), Faustino's skill level is comparable to a Grandmaster (GM). At the World Championship in Doha, Qatar, in 12/2025, he made history as the youngest player globally to exceed an Elo rating of 2500 across all three official formats: standard, rapid, and blitz.
At the Title Tuesday event, an online rapid chess tournament organized by Carlsen and his company, Faustino finished 40th among over 400 players, including numerous top Grandmasters. A notable feature of the tournament was Carlsen and Faustino playing in separate, camera-monitored cabins, allowing them to share their real-time thoughts with fans while making moves.
Faustino competed in 11 games at the event, engaging with the audience for nearly 2.5 hours while wearing headphones. Later, on his personal YouTube livestream, the prodigy openly expressed his excitement about meeting his idol, Carlsen, in person.
"I played a 3+2 game – three minutes per side, plus two seconds for each move – against Carlsen. I believe I played quite well, but I still lost. The office in Oslo was truly impressive; from my room, I could see Mr. Carlsen on the other side", the Argentine chess prodigy recounted.
By Hoang Thong. Source: La Nacion
