“The real duel” for the chess crown: Caruana challenges Carlsen

Norway's chess genius Magnus Carlsen is facing the toughest fight of his career, because in the duel for the world title, his challenger Fabiano Caruana only has one goal: to become the first American to win the world title in 46 years. From next Friday until November 28th, world champion Carlsen and Caruana will fight for the title in London. There are twelve games on the program. If there is a tie of 6:6, the champion will be chosen in a tiebreak in games with a shortened time limit. There is one million dollars (875 euros) in the bonus pot.

“This time it’s the real duel,” says Carlsen and admits: “Being world champion has become part of my identity and therefore there’s a lot at stake. I don't really care that much about being world champion. But I don’t want it to be anyone else,” says the 27-year-old Norwegian. “It’s a little shameful, I have to admit. It shouldn't be like that." This statement aptly characterizes Carlsen: The best chess player in the world doesn't begrudge his opponents a victory and clearly shows his displeasure after defeats.

Carlsen has been the undisputed number 2011 in the chess world since July 1 and world champion since 2013. He won the title against the Indian Viswanathan Anand five years ago with 6,5:3,5 and a year later defended it confidently against the same opponent in Sochi with 6,5:4,5. In 2016, he made it a little more exciting against the Russian Sergej Karjakin: After 6:6, Carlsen only won 3:1 in the tiebreak.

The defending champion leads the world rankings, but Caruana follows in second place, just three points behind. This is a blink of an eye in chess. The two grandmasters have faced each other 33 times in classical chess. The game ended in a draw 18 times, Carlsen won ten times and Caruana won five times. This means that the world champion goes into the race as the slight favorite.

For the American, who is a year younger than him, reaching for the world title is the logical consequence of his numerous successes in recent years. Many experts had already considered him in 2016, but he finished in second place just behind Karjakin at the Candidates Tournament in Moscow. In March of this year he did better in Berlin. He left his seven opponents behind in the Candidates Tournament. Caruana is the first American to compete for the world championship since Bobby Fischer in 1972. So the hopes of all chess fans from overseas are now pinned on the slight but – just like Carlsen – physically fit young man. Caruana expects a fierce duel. For him, chess is a martial art.

“It’s similar to boxing or mixed martial arts. It's a one-on-one duel in which we will both try to gain the upper hand and impose our will on the other," said the 26-year-old American on the internet portal time.com. “It's not a physical sport, but if people like those one-on-one duels, chess is the place for them.”

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“The real duel” for the chess crown: Caruana challenges Carlsen

Only three points separate them in the world rankings - high tension is guaranteed in the fight for the chess crown: defending champion Magnus Carlsen or challenger Fabiano Caruana?

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