It was going to be in London with a €1m prize fund, but now there are rumours of a much higher bid, a venue switch to St Louis and tricky negotiations. The first American-born challenger since Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky in 1972 lives in St Louis, which has become a renowned global chess centre hosting inter alia the US championship and an annual elite event in which both Carlsen and Caruana compete. American Fabiano Caruana to play for world chess title after candidates win Read moreCaruana was born to Italian-American parents in Miami, was home schooled, learned his chess skills in Brooklyn, and at 14 broke Fischer’s age record as the youngest US grandmaster. For the embattled and financially stretched global chess body Fide, St Louis could prove a lifeline. Caruana (White) and Carlsen will meet this Saturday in the opening round of the Grenke Classic at Karlsruhe, Germany.

Source: The Guardian March 30, 2018 13:48 UTC