The world No 3 is backed to become the challenger but lost twice this week, to Wesley So and Levon Aronian
Fabiano Caruana, the world No 3, reigning US champion and 5-2 favourite to win the world title Candidates at the Cap St Georges Resort, Pegeia, Cyprus, from 29 March to 16 April, planned to warm up with two events at his home town St Louis, but events have not followed the script.
Caruana was second to the former Russian, Mikhail Antipov, in the Saint Louis Masters, though he was unbeaten with 7/9, so this was still a good result. But then, in the American Cup, a double elimination format knockout, he lost to both Wesley So and Levon Aronian in similar fashion, winning the first classical game with White, losing the second with Black, then losing the speed tie-break 1.5-2.5.
Both defeats followed a pattern where Caruana was gradually ground down in middle games and endgames without queens, a weakness on which his opponents in Cyprus are sure to focus. So won in 68 moves, while Aronian took only 40, and already had a decisive advantage by move 21.
Hikaru Nakamura, the world No 2 and popular streamer, and Javokhir Sindarov, the Uzbek who won the 2025 World Cup, are co-second favourites for the Candidates at around 5-1.
