Chess: Favourite Fabiano Caruana loses twice in runup to world title Candidates

The world No 3 is backed to become the challenger but lost twice this week, to Wesley So and Levon Aronian

Fabiano Caruana, the world No 3, reigning US champion and 5-2 favourite to win the world title Candidates at the Cap St Georges Resort, Pegeia, Cyprus, from 29 March to 16 April, planned to warm up with two events at his home town, St Louis, but events have not followed the script.

Caruana was second to the former Russian Mikhail Antipov in the Saint Louis Masters, though he was unbeaten with 7/9, so this was still a good result. But then, in the American Cup, a double elimination format knockout, he lost to Wesley So and Levon Aronian in similar fashion, winning the first classical game with White, losing the second with Black, then losing the speed tie-break 1.5-2.5.