Fabiano Caruana, the world number 4, is in the headlines with his unfazed attitude related to Indian Grandmasters and their brilliance. Now that three Indians are in the Top 10 and the whole world is amazed by India’s chess supremacy, Caruana doesn’t seem to be so scared.
In Norway Chess 2025, the final round saw Fabiano Caruana and Gukesh D against each other. It was one of the highest-stakes matches of the tournament as Gukesh D needed a victory to claim the title; however, he could not. Speaking of the victory, he said, “These Indian players are very strong. I think we’ll be competing on more or less equal terms for a while. But I don’t find them scary yet. Whatsoever!”
“When I play, for example, Arjun or Gukesh, I do get this feeling, not just based on this Norway Chess tournament, but on many tournaments, that I can really outplay them very significantly and get a lot of winning chances.”
His comments are similar to what Magnus Carlsen said in the same tournament. He said, “quite a lot better than the guys who are trying to take over.”
Fabiano Caruana Not Scared
Fabiano Caruana has faced Gukesh multiple times and has been successful almost every time. He later explained that despite Indian prodigies performing well, a shift in the global chess landscape is unlikely anytime soon. He said, “I don’t think they can outplay me in the same way. Although they will get winning chances and then it’s about some other factors.”
“Really, this is my honest opinion. It’s not me trying to play them down or anything. I’m not doing that. They can definitely outperform me in various ways. But my feeling is that if it’s a long match, they’re great fighters, but they also give a lot of chances and (for them) it can be very frustrating to play against someone who doesn’t give many chances.”
He backed Magnus Carlsen and said that he is still the GOAT. He said, “If Levon Aronian is 10 years older than me and he’s competing on completely equal terms with these young guys… or Hikaru, who’s five years older than me, and it feels like he’s still a stronger player than these young guys for the most part… then why would there be this theory that they’re going to take over anytime soon. Especially if you consider that Magnus is, I would say, clearly stronger than them,”
Also Read: “Hard To Believe…” Tornike Sanikidze And Other Chess Icon’s Views On India Chess Supremacy
