C-Squared Podcast Fabiano Caruana Predicts Who's Going To Win The World Cup
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Nov 7, 2025 
Fabiano Caruana, a world-class chess grandmaster and former World Championship challenger, dives into the excitement of the World Cup. He shares insights on the intense Magnus-Gukesh rivalry and debates the future of the 'total' world championship. The conversation highlights surprising player performances, including a young upset by Faustino and Wesley So's unexpected resignation. Fabiano also shares his predictions for candidates, naming favorites like Levon and Arjun while discussing the challenges of tournament endurance. A must-listen for chess enthusiasts!
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Exhaustion Shaped Tournament Mindset
- Fabiano Caruana described feeling exhausted after back-to-back major events and enjoyed Clutch Chess partly because he felt less pressure.
- He played worse on day one but rallied on day two to briefly lead due to the experimental scoring system.
Scoring Rules Change Play Incentives
- The Clutch Chess scoring (1st day 1pt, 2nd day 2pt, 3rd day 3pt) changed incentives and made late wins far more valuable.
- That structure reduced the value of draws and rewarded aggressive play on later days.
Missed Wins Against Magnus
- Caruana recounted having objectively winning positions against Magnus but converting only half a point from two games.
- Time trouble and missed one-move wins cost him crucial points in the match.