Added on 9/8/2024
By Alejandro Oro, Faustino Oro's father
My history with online chess began on ICC. Maybe some things like this run in the genes. But instead of the characteristic "ratatata" that Pepe Cuenca immortalised and that Fausti makes his own in every stream, I had my own war cry. "Solid!" I would shout when I won a game.
I was young, but not as young as Fausti is now, and I was fighting to hit 1600 on the "Internet Chess Club" rankings. Who would have thought that many years later, almost like King Arthur when he pulled Excalibur from the stone, Faustino would come along at just 10 years old, to become the number one player on the newly relaunched platform and avenge his father from countless defeats?
As a parent, you never imagine that teaching your son to play chess could be a turning point in your family life, that something so trivial like teaching him how to play a game could turn everything upside down. After all, there are 600 million people in the world who can play chess, and Fausti was just one more. The probability that he would become the best in his age group was practically zero, even more so because he was born in a country that has never been a chess powerhouse and doesn't have such aspirations in chess.
But the King Arthur of chess was going to change everything. Everything.
The Torre Blanca Chess Club in Buenos Aires started modestly but very soon was overwhelmed with kids fascinated by chess, and more and more clubs were created to accommodate hundreds of children who wanted to learn to play during the current "chess boom".
Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined Fausti's progress since that time. He not only surpassed the most optimistic predictions a father could have for his son, but he also raised the bar of what a child of his age could achieve in front of a board with 64 squares and 32 pieces. Every day, I felt like I was witnessing part of the history of postmodern chess unfolding before my eyes.
A solar year is 365.25 days. On each planet, it is different. In Fausti's world, it has its own measure of time as well. We jokingly call it "Fausti years." It means that three months of Fausti's chess learning is equivalent to at least five years of an average player. That's why it took him less than six months to beat his father. And it wasn't just any victory, but one of those games that sticks in your memory, where the last move, an elegant rook sacrifice, left everyone speechless. It was then that I realized, as a father, that I was immersed in something bigger than just a game between us. It was the beginning of something extraordinary.
Every day, his level of play and passion for the game grew stronger. While other kids spent hours playing video games or on social media, Fausti devoured chess videos and analyzed games with a maturity that, honestly, wasn't typical for a boy his age. The great names in chess, like Carlsen or Nakamura, were his idols - not as unreachable celebrities, but rather as future rivals he aspired to face one day.
Meanwhile, Fausti kept climbing the ranks in online chess. His rating grew almost as fast as his reputation. On YouTube and Twitter, rumors began circulating about "an Argentinian prodigy" and "the Messi of chess," and it wasn't long before top players noticed him as well.
Before we could realize, this incipient fame extended beyond online chess. He started to get invitations to compete in in person "over the board" events, and wherever he went, you could feel the excitement in the air. Local media began covering his achievements, and the chess community welcomed him with open arms. It was then that I started to understand that Fausti wasn't just "good" for his age—he was destined for something greater.
When we got home at the end of every tournament, I loved listening to how Fausti analyzed his games. His understanding of chess was like that of an accomplished master, and his explanations amazed me. Sometimes, I even struggled to keep up with him, despite having the assistance of a chess engine.
Something truly special was his humility. For Faustino, every game, whether won or lost, was an opportunity to learn and improve. I never saw him boast about his achievements, not even when it became clear that he was an extraordinary talent. There was, and there is, no ego: Just a thirst for learning.
Our relationship also evolved. Chess, which was once just a shared hobby between a father and his son, became the core of our connection. Every game, every conversation about openings or endgames, brought us closer. I knew that I could no longer compete at his level, but that didn't matter. I was proud to see him flourish in something he loved so much.
For days on, Fausti remained undefeated in blitz chess on ICC, establishing himself as one of the best players on the relaunched online chess site. His winning streak has led him to the top of the rankings, surpassing players of various levels through effort and dedication. Although his progress has been remarkable, Fausti stays grounded, knowing there is always room for improvement. His focus remains on enjoying the game rather than the results. Without a doubt, his passion and perseverance have taken him far, but his journey in chess, just like the new ICC's, is only beginning.
Like King Arthur with Excalibur, he has found his weapon, his passion, and there is no force that can stop him. And although his destiny is yet to be decided, I am convinced that it will be a story worthy of the greatest tales of glory and legend, of which the first pages are now being written. Only time will tell what fate holds for him and how far he can get, but it is safe to say that he is also a phenomenon with the potential to make history. And he is going for it.
We celebrate ICC's return to online chess because it reinforces that imaginary cosmic bond between father and son and the sense of inherited chess ties. We hope it will become the battleground of many of Fausti's most brilliant victories in the future. The best is yet to come, for all of us.
