Óscar Panno is an Argentine chess player known for becoming an International Grandmaster in 1955, making him the first Latin American to achieve this rank. Born on 17 March 1935, he began his chess career at an early age.
Panno won his first set of major chess games in 1953 when he secured the title of World Junior Chess Champion, making him the second-ever champion of this competition, and the following year became Argentine Champion. He also competed in the Interzonal tournament which qualified players for the candidates matches for the World Championship, where he achieved excellent results.
One of Panno's significant achievements was drawing a six-game match against former World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik in 1960. He participated in several other international tournaments in places like Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires and Havana, securing good ranks.
Panno was a fixture in the World Chess Championship cycle for over a decade and represented Argentina in nine Chess Olympiads, contributing to Argentina's victories in 1952 and 1954. Despite his successes, Panno was also known for his unusual decisions in matches, such as when he decided to forfeit a game against Bobby Fischer in 1960 as a protest against the tournament's schedule.
Throughout his career, Panno secured many accolades, including coming first prize in the Mar del Plata tournament six times, and winning the Argentine Championship on three occasions. He was also the Chess Olympiad individual gold medal winner in 1958.
He continued to compete in high-level chess competitions into the 21st century and played his last recorded games in 2010. He remained one of the most prominent figures in Argentine chess for over half a century.