Levon Aronian Backs USA Star Over R Praggnanandhaa As Candidates Favourite

Last Updated:March 23, 2026, 09:03 IST

Levon Aronian backs Fabiano Caruana as clear 2026 Candidates favourite to challenge D Gukesh, downplays R Praggnanandhaa.

R. Praggnanandhaa is the only Indian in the Open section at Candidates 2026 (PTI Photo)

Armenian chess Grandmaster Levon Aronian has said that Fabiano Caruana is the favourite to win the Candidates and challenge D Gukesh for the world champion’s title, brushing aside the possibility that R Praggnanandhaa will be able to compete for the same.

The tournament, featuring eight of the world’s top players, holds a special place in the chess calendar as it determines the challenger to the reigning World Champion.

Praggnanandhaa is the sole Indian competing in the Open section this year, down from three in the 2024 edition, where Gukesh became the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.

As per Aronian, Praggnanandhaa isn’t among the leading contenders heading into the tournament. The former, who competed in six Candidates events between 2007 and 2018, instead labelled Caruana as the ‘clear favourite’ and the ‘second strongest player in the world’ after Magnus Carlsen.

“The way I see it, this tournament has one clear favourite, Fabiano. He has been playing very consistently throughout the year and qualified with ease. I think he clearly has been the second strongest player in the world for many years already, after Magnus,” Caruana said while speaking to the FIDE.

“When it comes to clear favourites, he (Caruana) is the one… I would rate his chances at around 40 to 45%. I will be rooting for my teammates, first of all for Fabiano… and then for Hikaru (world No 2 Hikaru Nakamura),” Aronian said.

Caruana was the first to qualify for the 2026 Candidates after winning the 2024 FIDE Circuit. He had won the 2018 Candidates, becoming the first American challenger for the undisputed World Championship since Bobby Fischer in 1972.

Aronian, meanwhile, pointed to rising star Javokhir Sindarov, who qualified by winning the FIDE World Cup, as a potential dark horse in the upcoming tournament.

“I think the player who can actually surprise a lot is Sindarov. He is young, ambitious and plays very interesting, combative chess. If things go his way early on, he can be a very dangerous competitor,” Aronian said.

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