Clash of generations: Vishy Anand beats Faustino Oro 2-0
A match up between Indian legend & five-time-world champion Viswanathan Anand and rising star from Argentina Intentional Master Faustino Oro was hosted at La Versiliana, Italy on Sunday 1st June, 2025. Billed as the “Clash of Generations” the rapid two game match went more in favor of experience than in favor of youth. Vishy Anand won his first world title at Tehran, Iran in the year 2000, a good 13 years before Fausti was born. So, this match can be truly called as the “Clash of Generations”.
11-year-old Faustino Oro (DOB 14th October, 2013) held the record for becoming the youngest player to achieve the International Master title, before Russian Roman Shogdzhiev broke it recently. Fausti is currently on track to become the youngest Grandmaster in the history of chess. In the recently concluded Sharjah Masters he was on the verge of a GM Norm, but losses to Zemlyanskii & Mendonca in the final two rounds played the spoiler. Called popularly as “Messi of Chess” Fausti has a big load to carry in his young shoulders.
In a grand opening ceremony that may be remembered for a long time, Viswanathan Anand and Faustino Oro were brought to the venue in horse-drawn carriage.
In both games the “Tiger from Madras” picked up the initiative and never left his foot off the pedal. The ensuing 2-0 score in favour of the Indian should not dishearten Fausti in any manner, as he’d have gained more here than the legend himself. For the records, the first bout of “David vs Goliath” has gone in favor of David. The games were played under rapid time control of 10 minutes + 3 seconds increment.
The event was hosted by GM Roberto Mogranzini, President of Unichess and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, a passionate chess enthusiast and cultural icon. As a part of the Chess Roads Festival, an assembly of 40 rare and antique chess sets from different parts of the world, were presented as an exhibition. After the mini-match, both the celebrities played separate 10 game simul against players invited by the hosts including Andrea Bocelli. Quite expectedly, Vishy and Fausti came up clean slate of 10-0 scores.
Anand Viswanathan (2719) – Oro Faustino (2457) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. O-O Bb6 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Re1 Ne7 11. d4 Ng6 12. h3 Bb7 13. Bc2 Re8 14. a4 Qd7 15. b3 Rad8 16. d5 Nh5 17. Nf1 Bc8 18. Be3 Bxe3 19. fxe3 c6 20. c4 b4 21. N3h2 Nf6 22. Ng3 h6 23. Rf1 Nh7 24. Nf5 Ne7 25. Nxe7+ Qxe7 26. dxc6 Qc7 27. a5 Qxc6 28. Qd2 Qc5 29. Nf3 Bb7 30. Ne1 Qa7 31. Ra4 Ng5 32. Rxb4 Nxe4 33. Qd3 Ba8 34. Rb6 d5 35. cxd5 Bxd5 36. Qxa6 Qxa6 37. Rxa6 Nd2 38. Rf2 Nxb3 39. Nf3 Bc4 40. Ra7 Nc1?? (40…Ra8 holds)
41. Rc7 Bd3?? 42. Ba4 Ne2+ 43. Kh2 Re6 44. Ne1 Ba6 45. Bb3 Rf6 46. Rxf6 gxf6 47. Rxf7 Kh8 48. Rxf6 Nc1 49. Rxh6+ Kg7 50. Rxa6 Nxb3 51. Nf3 Rd3 52. Nxe5 Rxe3 53. Ra7+ Kf8 54. Ng6+ Kg8 55. a6 Nc5 56. Re7 Rxe7 57. Nxe7+ 1-0
Oro Faustino (2457) – Anand Viswanathan (2719) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bd7 6. Be2 Nge7 7. O-O Nf5 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. Bd3 Nfe7 10. Nbd2 Ng6 11. Nb3 Bb6 12. Re1 O-O 13. Nbd4 Bc7 14. Bxg6 fxg6 15. Qe2 Nxd4 16. cxd4 h6 17. h4 Bb6 18. Bd2 Rc8 19. Rac1 Qe7 20. Qd3 Qf7 21. Bb4 Rfe8 22. Bc5 Ba5 23. Red1 a6 24. Qa3 Bd8 25. Qb4 Bb5 26. Re1 Qf4 27. Rc3 Rc7 28. a4 Bc6 29. Bb6 Rf7 30. Bxd8 Rxd8 31. Ree3 Rdf8 32. Rc2 Qg4 33. Kh2 Rf4 34. b3 g5 35. hxg5 hxg5 36. Qe7 Qf5 37. Nxg5 ? (better was 37. Rxc6)
37…Re8 38. Rxc6 Rh4+ 39. Rh3 Rxh3+ 40. gxh3 Qxf2+ 41. Kh1 Rxe7 42. Rc8+ Qf8 43. Rxf8+ Kxf8 44. Kg2 Re8 45. Kf3 Ke7 46. Kg4 Rc8 47. Kh5 Rc3 48. Kg6 Rd3 0-1
Picture Courtesy: Official Site
Official Site: https://fondazioneversiliana.it/chess-roads/
