Fabiano Caruana has named India's Praggnanandhaa and Hikaru Nakamura as leading contenders for the Candidates chess tournament in Cyprus. The American grandmaster, the field's only previous winner, described the race as a close affair with multiple players capable of victory. Caruana's assessment highlights Praggnanandhaa's pedigree despite recent form.
Fabiano Caruana, the sole past winner in the eight-player Candidates 2026 field, shared his views on the tournament during an interview with Chessbase India. He emphasized his own goal to win but noted the competition's tightness. "It’s a fair bet (that I’m rooting for myself to win). I want to win; it’s the only goal of the Candidates. But I do see it as a very close affair," Caruana said. He added that preparation gaps are narrow, leaving outcomes to other factors, and predicted many players could contend for first.
Caruana placed Praggnanandhaa high among favorites, citing the Indian's ability to win top events last year despite a poor run since the Sinquefield Cup. "To me, that elevates him more than current ratings," he explained. Nakamura, Caruana's compatriot and a top-ranked player since 2011 or 2012, ranked similarly due to his experience and near-miss in the previous Candidates, where he contended until the final round.
Other contenders include Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov, recent FIDE World Cup winner in India, whom Caruana praised for his killer instinct and hot streak, placing him between Praggnanandhaa and Anish Giri. Giri edges Wei Yi thanks to top-level experience, though both are strong. Wei Yi impresses with accuracy but has fewer tournament victories. Caruana respects Andrey Esipenko's danger but doubts his favoritism due to limited major wins. Frenchman Matthias Bluebaum could score well and disrupt others but has the lowest win chances.
The tournament in Cyprus features these grandmasters vying for a world championship spot, with Caruana's experience from his 2018 win and 2018 world championship match against Magnus Carlsen giving him an edge.
