An American finally has a shot at winning the World Chess Championship for the first time since Bobby Fischer in 1972

pulse

November 8, 2018 8:33 PM

Fabiano Caruana will be the first American to play for the World Chess Championship since Bobby Fischer in 1972. Caruana will face three-time champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Caruana has been a contender for a number of years, but this will be his first shot at the title.

Fabiano Caruana at a press event before the 2018 World Chess Championship in London.

Fabiano Caruana
World Chess Championship
Magnus Carlsen

It's been a long, long, long, long wait. Very, very, very long. But for the first time since American Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky of the USSR in 1972, an American is competing for the World Chess Championship.

Miami-born, Brooklyn-raised Fabiano Caruana won the Candidates Tournament earlier this year and will take on three-time world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway in London. The match commences on Friday, and as was the case for the 2016 WCC — won by Carlsen over Russian challenger

Carlsen struggled against