MIAMI — One of the world’s top-ranked chess players got his start in South Florida, and now he’s returned home to compete alongside some of the best players in the game.
Fabiano Caruana, who was born in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, discovered chess when he was just 5 years old. What began as an after-school activity quickly developed into a professional pursuit that would eventually take him around the world.
“I started after school just playing with other kids,” Caruana said. “There was a coach. He told my parents, ‘Maybe you should pursue it. Seems like he’s good.’ And then we started taking it more seriously, and I represented the U.S. in youth competitions. That was the beginning.”
That beginning ultimately propelled Caruana to the highest levels of competitive chess. Today, he is ranked among the best players in the world and has built a following of nearly 200,000 people on Instagram.
Caruana recently returned to South Florida to represent Team USA in an elite international rapid and blitz chess competition at Faena Miami Beach, featuring some of the world’s top grandmasters.
Chess finds a new generation
While chess has existed for centuries, Caruana says the game has evolved considerably in recent years. Online platforms have made it easier than ever for people to learn and compete, helping introduce the game to millions of new players.
“The great thing about chess is it’s very accessible,” Caruana said. “It doesn’t cost anything to play. You can play online for free.”
Caruana also believes the benefits extend well beyond competition.
“I think it’s one of the really useful things that chess can do for people,” he said, pointing to its potential cognitive benefits and the lessons it can teach children, including “self-control, patience, hard work.”
Despite chess’ growing online popularity, Caruana said players are still working to overcome the perception that the game is slow or outdated.
“I think we’ve had to fight this perception that chess is an old-fashioned game,” he said. “There are a lot of ways chess can be exciting, but the best way to decide is to give it a try.”
Much of that excitement, he said, comes from the tension players experience even when there may not be much visible action to spectators.
“The tension that you feel, you may not see on the outside, but you feel while you’re playing it,” Caruana said.
That pressure is amplified in rapid and blitz competitions, where players have significantly less time to make decisions.
“When you’re playing as fast as possible, nothing goes through your mind except your next move,” he said.
Chasing a world championship
Despite already reaching the upper echelon of the chess world, Caruana still has one major goal left on his list: becoming world champion.
“I would like to fight for the World Championship title,” he said.
Caruana said he expects to have another opportunity to pursue that goal during the 2028 championship cycle.
“I’ll be able to try in the next cycle, which is in 2028,” he said, “and hopefully I’ll make it then.”
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