'Lot better than Messi at 12': Magnus Carlsen praises Faustino Oro who is close to becoming youngest ever Grandmaster

Faustino Oro, the 12-year-old Argentinian chess prodigy, has received high praise from world number one Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian great talked to Oro recently on the Take Take Take app and said that the youngster will be compared to the Argentinian football great Lionel Messi.

Oro is racing towards becoming the youngest ever Grandmaster in chess history and in December he completed the second of three norms needed to get to the achievement. Oro’s sensational talent has made heads turn around the chess world with the prodigy getting a lot of praise from several great players.

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‘Messi will be lucky to get compared to Oro’

Carlsen told the 12-year-old that he was a lot better than Messi was at his age. He also encourage the youngster by telling him that one day the Argentinian footballing superstar will get compared to him.

I am a Real Madrid fan personally, but I’ve kind of come to appreciate Messi more and more. I think Faustino is a lot better at 12 than Messi was at 12. He’s on a good path. Just embrace it and enjoy it and you know, one day Messi will be lucky to be compared to you if you continue (like this),” Carlsen told Oro.

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Carlsen also advised the Argentinian sensation to not focus on records as the 12-year-old remains in line to become the youngest Grandmaster in chess history. The current record sits with United States’ Abhimanyu Mishra who became a Grandmaster in just 12 years four months and five days.

“I do think that there are more important things right now than records. I think that’s the most important thing to think about. I think he’s a great player. He has a wonderful positional feeling for chess which is quite rare among such young players. He seems to really love chess, seeing as he plays a ton online and he plays every tournament that he can play. He also seems to have great support to kind of let him do his thing.

“So, I would focus on just trying to keep it light, not think about results a whole lot. And you know, he’s on an incredible path. Believe me, it’s fun to be that much into something and be that good at it at such an early age. So just enjoy it and the pieces will fall where they may,” Carlsen told Oro.

The Argentinian prodigy too said that he was not worrying about records and just enjoying chess.

“I don’t care much about records. I care much more about trying to play better chess all the days, trying to improve and trying to play and enjoy the game. For me, this is the most important thing for chess. I am happy and trying to improve my chess,” Oro said.