Fabiano Caruana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fabiano Caruana |
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Caruana at the 2024 Candidates Tournament
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| Full name | Fabiano Luigi Caruana |
| Country | United States (pre-2005; since 2015) Italy (2005–2015) |
| Born | July 30, 1992 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Title | Grandmaster (2007) |
| FIDE rating | 2835 (June 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2844 (October 2014) |
| Ranking | No. 2 (November 2023) |
| Peak ranking | No. 2 (October 2014) |
Fabiano Luigi Caruana (born July 30, 1992) is a top chess grandmaster from both Italy and the United States. He is currently a four-time United States Chess Champion. Fabiano is known for his incredibly high rating of 2844, which makes him one of the highest-rated players in chess history.
Fabiano was born in Miami, Florida, to Italian parents. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He showed amazing talent for chess at a very young age, becoming a chess prodigy. He played for the United States until 2005. Then, he decided to play for Italy.
He earned the prestigious grandmaster title in 2007 when he was just 14 years old. In the same year, he won his first Italian Chess Championship. He won this title three more times in 2008, 2010, and 2011.
In 2014, Fabiano won the Sinquefield Cup. He achieved an incredible 3098 performance rating, which is one of the highest ever in elite chess. In 2015, he switched back to playing for the United States. The next year, in 2016, he won the US Chess Championship.
Fabiano won the FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15 series, which allowed him to play in the Candidates Tournament 2016. He finished second in that tournament. He then won the next Candidates Tournament 2018, becoming the first American to challenge for the World Chess Championship since Bobby Fischer in 1972.
Before his championship match, he won several big tournaments like the Grenke Chess Classic and Norway Chess. In the World Chess Championship 2018, he played against Magnus Carlsen. All twelve regular games were draws. Fabiano lost in the faster tie-break games. He has continued to play in every Candidates Tournament since then, including the 2020, 2022, and 2024 events. He has also qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
Fabiano has represented the United States in the 42nd Chess Olympiad, playing on the top board. His team won the gold medal, and he earned an individual bronze medal. Besides regular chess, he is also very strong in rapid and blitz chess.
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Early Life and Chess Journey
Fabiano Caruana was born on July 30, 1992, in Miami, Florida. His parents, Lou and Santina, are Italian. He has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both Italy and the United States. When he was four, his family moved to Park Slope, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.
His amazing chess talent was discovered when he was five years old. This happened during an after-school chess program. That same year, he played in his first tournament at the Polgar Chess Center in Queens, New York City.
Developing His Skills
Until he was twelve, Fabiano lived and played chess in the United States. He sometimes traveled to Europe and South America for tournaments. His first chess coach, from age six to eight, was National Master (NM) Bruce Pandolfini. From age eight to twelve, he studied with Grandmaster (GM) Miron Sher.
In 2004, his family moved from Brooklyn to Madrid, Spain. This move was so he could focus on a professional chess career. He played for Italy from 2005 to 2015. In Madrid, he trained with International Master (IM) Boris Zlotnik. In 2007, he moved to Budapest to train with GM Alexander Chernin. Later, in 2010, he moved to Lugano, Switzerland, and began training with GM Vladimir Chuchelov. In 2014, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, a major chess city in the U.S.
Chess Career Highlights
Becoming a Grandmaster
In July 2007, Fabiano won a tournament in Budapest. This win helped him get his final GM norm. At just 14 years, 11 months, and 20 days old, he became the youngest grandmaster for both the United States and Italy. He beat the U.S. record previously held by Hikaru Nakamura.
Later that year, he won the Vlissingen chess tournament in the Netherlands. He also won the Italian Chess Championship in 2007, becoming the youngest Italian champion ever. He successfully defended this title in 2008, 2010, and 2011.
Rising Star
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Fabiano continued to impress in the chess world. In 2008, he won the Corus C tournament, a big event for rising players. The next year, in 2009, he won Corus B, becoming the first player to win both Corus C and B in back-to-back years. He played for Italy in team competitions like the Mitropa Cup, winning individual gold medals. He also did well in the Chess World Cup 2009, reaching the fourth round.
In 2012, Fabiano had a fantastic year. He finished second at the 74th Tata Steel Chess Tournament (a very strong event). He won the Reykjavik Open and the Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament. He also placed second at the 7th Tal Memorial and won the 40th Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting. He tied for first at the Grand Slam Chess Final, finishing second after tie-breaks.
Breaking Records
In 2014, Fabiano had one of the best tournament performances in chess history. He won the 2014 Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis, Missouri. This tournament featured six of the world's top ten players, including the world champion Magnus Carlsen. Fabiano started with seven straight wins and finished with an incredible 3098 performance rating. This was the highest ever at the elite level.
World Championship Challenger
Fabiano's success in the FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15 earned him a spot in the Candidates Tournament 2016. He finished second, just missing the chance to play for the World Championship. However, he won the Candidates Tournament 2018, which meant he would challenge Magnus Carlsen for the World Champion title.
The World Chess Championship 2018 was a very close match. All 12 classical games ended in draws. Carlsen then won the faster rapid tie-break games, keeping his title.
US Champion and More Success
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In 2016, Fabiano became the US Chess Champion for the first time. He won the tournament without losing a single game. He also played a key role in the U.S. team winning the gold medal at the 42nd Chess Olympiad. He earned an individual bronze medal for his performance on the top board.
He continued to compete at the highest level, playing in many strong tournaments. In 2017, he won the London Chess Classic after tie-breaks. In 2018, he won the 5th Grenke Chess Classic and Norway Chess. He also shared first place at the 6th Sinquefield Cup.
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Recent Achievements
In 2020, Fabiano won the 2020 Tata Steel Masters tournament, one of the strongest events of the year. He finished two points ahead of Magnus Carlsen. This pushed his rating to 2842, close to his peak. He played in the 2020 Candidates Tournament, which was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When it resumed in 2021, he finished fourth.
In 2021, he qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2022 by finishing second in the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2021. He also won the 2021 Vugar Gashimov Memorial.
In 2022, Fabiano won the first-ever American Cup, a new double-elimination tournament. He also won the 2022 US Chess Championship, securing his second U.S. title. He finished third in the World Rapid Chess Championship 2022.
In 2023, Fabiano had another incredible year. He won the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest. He reached the semifinals of the Chess World Cup 2023, which qualified him for the Candidates Tournament 2024. He successfully defended his US Chess Champion title, winning it for the third time. He also won the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and the 2023 Sinquefield Cup. Fabiano won the overall Grand Chess Tour 2023, achieving the highest point total in the Tour's history.
In 2024, Fabiano continued his winning streak. He defended his title at the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest. He also won the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz in Croatia. He placed second at the 2024 Sinquefield Cup and finished second in the overall Grand Chess Tour standings. Fabiano won the 2024 US Chess Championship, making it his third consecutive U.S. title and fourth overall. He also won the 2024 U.S. Masters Chess Championship and qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2026.
Fabiano's Playing Style
When Fabiano was younger, he played very aggressively. He loved to attack and sacrifice pieces to go after the opponent's king. As he grew older and faced stronger players, he realized that direct attacks don't always work. He learned to play in a more balanced way, focusing on strategy and defense too.
Today, Fabiano's playing style is very well-rounded. He is known for his deep opening preparation and excellent calculation skills. He enjoys playing all kinds of positions, whether they are tactical (involving many quick moves and sacrifices) or strategic (focused on long-term planning). He is a strong fighter and doesn't avoid any type of game.
Magnus Carlsen, the former World Champion, has praised Fabiano's calculation abilities and opening knowledge. Carlsen has called him "undogmatic," meaning he is flexible in his approach. Fabiano is also known as a very hardworking player. He once said that he spends a lot of time analyzing games from around the world to find new ideas and trends. Because of his precise and strong play, he has earned the nickname "The Machine."
National Chess Affiliations
Playing for Italy and the United States
Fabiano Caruana has dual citizenship, so he can choose to play for either the Italian Chess Federation or the United States Chess Federation (USCF).
He played for Italy from 2005 to 2015. On May 12, 2015, the USCF announced that he would switch back to playing for the United States.
National Championship Wins
- Italy: Fabiano won the Italian National Championship four times: in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011.
- United States: He won the U.S. Chess Championship in 2016 (his first time playing), 2022, 2023, and 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Fabiano Caruana para niños
