Fabiano Caruana discussed the new Total Chess World Championship Tour on the C-Squared Podcast, expressing concern about how the chess community might perceive its results. He argued that the winner faces an unfair standard of credibility that depends entirely on whether Carlsen wins the event. This kind of outcome-dependent thinking, Caruana suggested, undermines the legitimacy of any champion who emerges victorious.

Caruana highlighted a paradox in how the chess world evaluates different formats. If Carlsen wins, critics will claim the Classical World Championship has become less relevant. If Carlsen loses, the victor will be dismissed as fortunate rather than deserving. He noted that Rapid and Blitz champions have historically faced similar dismissal, with their accomplishments reduced to lucky streaks rather than genuine excellence.

The pilot event for the Total Chess World Championship Tour runs from November 10 to 21 in Budapest. The new series, created by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE, combines Fast Classic, Rapid, and Blitz disciplines to crown a unified World Combined Champion. The main events of the tour's first edition will begin in March 2027.