FIDE Chess World Cup 2025: Vidit Gujrathi held to draw by 12-year-old “Messi of Chess” Faustino Oro, faces tiebreaks

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India's Vidit Gujrathi in action against Argentina's Faustino Oro. (PHOTO: Michal Walusza/FIDE)

The 12-year-old Argentinean teenage sensation IM Faustino Oro continued to impress at the ongoing FIDE Chess World Cup 2025, holding India’s No. 5 Vidit Gujrathi to a draw in back-to-back classical matches and forcing tiebreaks in their second-round clash on Wednesday in Arpora, Goa.

Fondly dubbed the “Messi of Chess” and touted as the next big thing in the sport, Oro punched well above his weight by denying a full point to Vidit in both of their games. In the first classical match on Tuesday, Vidit was pushed to the wall by Oro, who maintained a time advantage over the Indian throughout the game and forced the 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss winner to end the game by threefold repetition.

The second game followed a similar pattern, with Vidit, a former Candidates entrant, behind on the clock throughout, while the 12-year-old had no real trouble securing a draw.

Vidit was among a few Indians held to a draw in their first-round matches, alongside top seed and reigning World Champion D. Gukesh and third seed R. Praggnanandhaa. He needed a win to qualify directly for the third round without needing to play the tiebreaks.

Vidit now enters tricky territory, where he will face Oro in a series of short time-control matches. These begin with two rapid games of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move, with reversed colors. If a winner is not determined, the players will play two more rapid games, this time with 10 minutes plus a 10-second increment. If the tie persists, the tiebreaks will move to a blitz segment, starting with two games of five minutes plus a three-second increment, then two games of three minutes plus a two-second increment, before potentially reaching a sudden-death match.

Gukesh is in action against Kazakhstan’s Kazybek Nogerbek while Praggnanandhaa is taking on Australian Temur Kuybokarov as both need to win their games to qualify directly to third round. A draw in either of their games will result in tiebreaks as well. India No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi had beaten his opponent Martin Petrov of Bulgaria in their first match and now needs only a draw to proceed.

The tiebreaks for the third round will be played on Thursday.

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