Aronian Picks Fabiano Caruana as 'Clear Favorite' for Candidates Tournament

• Armenian-American Grandmaster Levon Aronian names fellow American GM Fabiano Caruana as the "clear favorite" to win the Candidates Tournament.
• Aronian states Caruana is the "second strongest player in the world after Magnus Carlsen" and has been playing consistently.
• He estimates Caruana's chances of winning at 40-45% and hopes for an American world champion.
• Caruana was the first to qualify for the 2026 Candidates, winning the 2024 FIDE Circuit, and previously won the 2018 Candidates.
• Aronian also identifies Javokhir Sindarov as a potential dark horse due to his young age, ambition, and combative chess style.