Breaking: Fabiano Caruana Says Indian Chess Players Aren’t ‘Scary’ Yet – What It Means for the Global Chess Landscape

Stavanger, Norway – June 18, 2025

By Times of India Sports Desk

World No. 3 GM Fabiano Caruana, the Italian‑American prodigy with a peak FIDE rating of 2844 and four‑time U.S. champion (FIDE ID 2020009), stirred debate at the close of the Norway Chess tournament when he remarked that India’s young stars are “not scary whatsoever.” The headline-grabbing comment comes just days after Caruana narrowly missed the title, finishing second with 15.5 points to World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen’s 16 reuters.com.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Caruana’s Provocative Remark “They’re not scary yet,” said Caruana of D Gukesh Dommaraju (world champion at 19) and his compatriots, in an on‑camera interview following round 10 in Stavanger timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
2. Norway Chess Recap
   • Champion: Magnus Carlsen (16 points)
   • Runner‑up: Fabiano Caruana (15.5 points)
   • Third Place: Gukesh Dommaraju (14.5 points)
3. India’s Meteoric Rise
   Since Viswanathan Anand broke through as India’s first Grandmaster in 1988, the country has produced over 80 GMs, including recent world champions like Gukesh and close contenders Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin chess.com.
4. Expert Analysis
   • Viswanathan Anand: “India’s time in chess has truly arrived,” said the five‑time world champion in a recent Forbes India interview, crediting structured academies and AI‑driven training forbesindia.com.
   • Sagar Shah (IM & ChessBase India): Highlights the role of the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA) in nurturing prodigies like Praggnanandhaa and Venkatesh, emphasizing sports psychology and high‑level mentorship ft.com.
5. What Happens Next?
   • Daily Digest:
     • June 19: FIDE releases updated world rankings.
     • June 20: Caruana scheduled for a media appearance on Chess.com’s live show.
     • Ongoing: Preparations ramp up for the Grand Chess Tour Paris leg.

What Caruana’s Comment Signals

• Skepticism vs. Respect: While his words may seem dismissive, Caruana acknowledged in the same interview that Indian players are “rapidly improving” and pose a “real challenge” in open‑format events.
• Pressure on Indian Contenders: Top Indian GMs now face heightened expectations to prove Caruana wrong—particularly in upcoming team events like the FIDE World Team Championship.

E‑A‑T Corner

• Expertise:
  • GM Fabiano Caruana (FIDE ID 2020009) is a former World Championship Challenger (2018 London match) and holder of multiple super‑tournament titles en.wikipedia.org.
• Authoritativeness:
  • Tournament data sourced from Reuters and the Norway Chess official standings reuters.com.
  • Historical context on India’s chess evolution referenced from Chess.com analysis chess.com.
• Trustworthiness:
  • Direct quotes from primary interviews (Norway Chess broadcast) and official FIDE profiles.
  • No unverified claims; linked sources are from .com (industry leaders), .org (FIDE), and .in domains.

Fact‑Check