If you want to understand why Faustino Oro has the chess world paying close attention, start here: he learned the game at six from YouTube tutorials, beat Magnus Carlsen at ten, and became a Grandmaster at twelve. Then add three countries, three GM norms, a World Cup record, and a peak FIDE rating of 2537.
During the height of Staunton’s celebrity, chess was expanding into coffee houses and working-class homes. The ornate chess set designs that were in favor, such as the tall, slender Biedermeier, had delicate parts that didn’t hold up well to a rougher, faster style of play. Serious chess players were clamoring for more durable and travel-friendly sets.
