Fabiano Caruana Predicts Close 2026 Candidates Tournament, Names Top Contenders

American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana has predicted a closely contested 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament, naming himself, India's R Praggnanandhaa, and Hikaru Nakamura as the main favourites. Caruana highlighted Praggnanandhaa's ability to win elite events despite recent form fluctuations and noted the narrowing preparation gap among participants. Other contenders mentioned include Wei Yi, Anish Giri, and Javokhir Sindarov. Caruana emphasized that multiple players have realistic chances to compete for first place in the tournament.