This year’s FIDE World Cup Chess tournament in Goa has offered a glimpse into the extraordinary depth of young talent transforming the global chess landscape. For fans in Goa, it has been a rare opportunity to watch prodigies mature before their eyes — and for the players, a stage to announce themselves to the world. Among the brightest of these rising stars is Argentina’s Faus tino Oro, all of 12 years old and already being hailed as the ‘Messi of Chess’. In 2023, at just nine, Oro earned a classical rating of 2300, becoming the youngest player in history to do so. His trajectory since then has been nothing short of spectacular. In May 2024, he stunned the chess world by defeating five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen during a weekly Bullet Brawl on Chess.com. The following year, in Septem ber 2025, he secured his first Grandmaster norm at the Legends and Prodigies tournament in Madrid, becoming the second-youngest player ever to achieve that milestone after India’s world champion GukeshDommaraju. During that event, his live rating surpassed 2500, making him the highest-rated 11-year-old in chess history, with a performance rating of 2759. At the Chess World Cup 2025, he defeated Grandmaster Ante Brkić 5-3, becoming the youngest player ever to win a World Cup match. Though he eventually fell to ViditGujrathi in a second-round tie-break, Oro has firmly established himself as a serious contender and perhaps a future world champion. Another sensation lighting up the tournament is Ya gizKaanErdoğmuş of Turkey. The 14-year-old became his country’s youngest International Master before turn ing 12 and, in 2024, earned his Grandmaster title — the fourth-youngest in history. Later that year, he became the youngest player ever to cross 2600 Elo, and as of July 2025, he remains the youngest Grandmaster in the world. His meteoric rise has broken records that stood for dec ades. In May 2024, he reached a 2569 rating, surpassing JuditPolgár’s 35-year-old mark as the highest-rated pre teen in chess history. In May 2025, he tied for second place at the TePeSigeman& Co tournament, and in July, he faced 49-year-old Russian Grandmaster Peter Svidler in a much hyped Clash of Generations. Erdoğmuş won the classical segment 4–2 before faltering in blitz 2–10. The result pro pelled him into the world’s Top 100 at just 14 — second only to Polgár, who achieved a similar feat at 12. He, too, seems destined for greatness. Turkey’s rise does not stop there. EdizGürel, now 16, has further strengthened the country’s credentials. Gürel de livered a breakout performance at the FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand, defeating reigning world champion Guke shDommaraju with the black pieces. His online prowess is equally formidable — he claimed his fifth Bullet Brawl title on Chess.com in October 2025, placing him fifth on the all time leader board. As of November 2025, he holds a clas sical rating of 2648, with a live rating approaching 2651. Meanwhile, the Indian effect on world chess is impossi ble to ignore. With around 92 Grandmasters — and count ing — the country has reshaped the sport’s demographics and created a wave that is being felt worldwide. One standout is Abhimanyu Mishra, the American player of Indian origin. Now just over 16, he exited the World Cup early, yet his talent remains impossible to overlook. Mishra is the world’s youngest International Master and youngest Grandmaster. At the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss, he became the youngest player ever to defeat a reigning world champion in classical play when he toppled Gukesh. Introduced to chess at the age of two by his father Hemant, Mishra was competing in tournaments by the age of five. The exploits of these prodigies have captivated the chess world. Veteran player and commentator Tania Sachdev summed up the mood, saying: “It’s incredible to watch what’s going on in the chess world as the game keeps get ting younger. Computers have a huge role to play in that, as well as opportunities. Chess has become such a global sport with online resources — coaching that was once available only in your late teens is now accessible to chil dren as young as six or seven.” She added that Oro is chasing the record for the young est Grandmaster ever and is already taking the world by storm, while Erdoğmuş and Gürel are rapidly closing in on the 2700 mark. “Honestly, it’s mind-blowing,” she said. “From a personal perspective, I’m glad I’m only a commentator now.” Only time will tell how far these young stars will go, but if their recent performances are any indication, they are poised to redefine the future of chess.
FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa Showcases Chess Prodigies Redefining the Game
