2018 World Chess Championship Proposition Betting Odds

–Chess is a surprisingly popular game among bettors–particularly in Europe.

–Magnus Carlsen is the reigning World Champion, a title he’s held since 2013.

–Fabiano Caruana won the recently completed Candidates Tournament and earned the right to challenge for Carlsen’s crown

We posted our opening numbers on the 2018 World Chess Championship immediately after the completion of the Candidates Tournament. That’s where Fabiano Caruana won the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen for the championship this November in London. Nothing has happened since then to give me reason to change the opening price which installed Carlsen as a -350 favorite to defend his title. In this post, I’ve added a healthy assortment of proposition odds for the World Chess Championship and its individual games.

Relatively speaking, the 2018 World Chess Championship should get a fair share of media coverage in the United States. Caruana is the first American to challenge for the World Chess Championship since it was won by the legendary Bobby Fisher in a victory over Boris Spassky in 1972. Fisher held the title until 1975 when he relinquished his ‘belt’ after a dispute over the competitive format for a World Championship challenge. That makes Caruana the first American in over 40 years to get a crack at the title.

We’ll add more props as the tournament approaches and provide ample coverage of the World Chess Championship on a day by day basis starting in early November. The official start of the event is November 7, 2018.

2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP PROPOSITION ODDS

TO WIN 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (NOVEMBER 7-28, 2018)

Magnus Carlsen: -350
Fabiano Caruana: +300

RESULT OF 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 12 GAMES (BEFORE TIEBREAKERS)

Magnus Carlsen: -250
DRAW: +350
Fabiano Caruana: +210

THE FIRST WIN IN 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP WILL COME IN WHICH GAME?

Game 1: +250
Game 2: +300
Game 3: +600
Game 4: +750
Game 5: +900
Game 6: +1150
Game 7: +1500
Game 8: +2000
Game 9: +2500
Game 10: +3500
Game 11: +4000
Game 12: +5000
No Wins During Regular Games: +1500

WILL MAGNUS CARLSEN BE THE FIRST PLAYER TO MOVE A QUEEN IN EACH OF GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: +300
No: -350

WILL THERE BE A CHECK IN EACH OF GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: -250
No: +210

WILL E4 BE THE OPENING MOVE IN EACH OF GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: -210
No: +180

NUMBER OF GAMES IN WHICH E4 IS THE OPENING MOVE IN THE FIRST 12 GAMES OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Over 7.5: -350
Under 7.5: +300

WILL ANY PAWN BE PROMOTED DURING GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: +300
No: -350

WILL ANY GAME EXCEED 79.5 MOVES DURING GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 INCLUSIVE OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: +300
No: -350

WILL SICILIAN DEFENSE (1.e4,c5) BE PLAYED AT ANY POINT DURING GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 INCLUSIVE OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: +750
No: -1000

WILL FRENCH DEFENSE (1.e4,e6) BE PLAYED AT ANY POINT DURING GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 INCLUSIVE OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: +750
No: -1000

WILL KING’S GAMBIT (1.e4 e5 2.f4) BE PLAYED AT ANY POINT DURING GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 INCLUSIVE OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: +750
No: -1000

WILL ENGLISH OPENING (1.c4) BE PLAYED AT ANY POINT DURING GAMES 1 THROUGH 4 INCLUSIVE OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: +450
No: -600

WILL ANY GAME DURING REGULAR GAMES END WITH ONLY TWO KINGS LEFT ON BOARD?

Yes: +180
No: -210

FIRST WIN IN REGULAR GAMES WILL BE BY?

White: -500
Black: +200
No Wins In Regular Games: +1000

WILL ONE PLAYER WIN TWO STRAIGHT GAMES IN REGULAR GAMES?

Yes: +450
No: -600

WILL ONE PLAYER WIN THREE STRAIGHT GAMES IN REGULAR GAMES?

Yes: +1250
No: -2500

WILL ONE PLAYER WIN FOUR STRAIGHT GAMES IN REGULAR GAMES?

Yes: +5750
No: -11500

MAGNUS CARLSEN MOVES IN FIRST FIVE GAMES?

Over 225.5: -150
Under 225.5: +130

FABIANO CARUANA MOVES IN FIRST FIVE GAMES?

Over 225.5: -150
Under 225.5: +130

MAGNUS CARLSEN MOVES IN FIRST TEN GAMES?

Over 450.5: -150
Under 450.5: +130

FABIANO CARUANA MOVES IN FIRST TEN GAMES?

Over 450.5: -150
Under 450.5: +130

PLAYER TO TAKE THE FIRST WIN DURING REGULAR GAMES (FIRST 12 GAMES)?

Magnus Carlsen: -250
Fabiano Caruana: +210

If there are no wins during regular games this bet will be graded ‘no action’

WILL PLAYER THAT TAKES THE FIRST WIN DURING REGULAR GAMES (FIRST 12 GAMES) ALSO WIN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?

Yes: -350
No: +300

If there are no wins during regular games this bet will be graded ‘no action’

NUMBER OF WINS BY MAGNUS CARLSEN DURING REGULAR GAMES (FIRST 12 GAMES)?

Over 2.5: +130
Under 2.5: -150

NUMBER OF WINS BY FABIANO CARUANA DURING REGULAR GAMES (FIRST 12 GAMES)?

Over 1.5: +130
Under 1.5: -150

NUMBER OF GAMES ENDING IN A DRAW DURING REGULAR GAMES (FIRST 12 GAMES)?

Over 7.5: -250
Under 7.5: +210

WILL THE FIRST TWO GAMES OF 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP END IN A DRAW?

Yes: -130
No: +110

WILL EITHER PLAYER WIN TWO GAMES IN A ROW DURING 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (REGULAR GAMES)?

Yes: +450
No: -600

WILL ANY GAME BE COMPLETED TO CHECKMATE DURING 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (REGULAR GAMES)?

Yes: +300
No: -350

METHOD OF DECISION IN WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018?

Regular Games: -750
Rapid Chess: +350
Blitz Chess: +800
Armageddon Chess: +2500

2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 1 PROPOSITION ODDS

THE FIRST MOVE IN GAME 1 OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE?

e4: +350
d4: -125
Any Other Move: +200

TOTAL NUMBER OF MOVES IN GAME 1 OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Over 45.5: -150
Under 45.5: +130

NUMBER OF PAWNS LEFT ON THE BOARD IN GAME 1 OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Over 4.5: -210
Under 4.5: +180

NUMBER OF PIECES LEFT ON THE BOARD IN GAME 1 OF THE 2018 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP?

Over 8.5: -150
Under 8.5: +130

MAGNUS CARLSEN PROPOSITION ODDS

MAGNUS CARLSEN’S FIDE CLASSIC RATING ON 12/31/18?

Less than 2800: +850
2800-2849: +250
2850-2899: -300
Over 2900: +1500

Carlsen’s March 2018 FIDE Classic Rating is 2843

About the Author: Jim Murphy

For more than 25 years, Jim Murphy has written extensively on sports betting as well as handicapping theory and practice. Jim Murphy has been quoted in media from the Wall Street Journal to REASON Magazine. Murphy worked as a radio and podcasting host broadcasting to an international audience that depended on his expertise and advice. Murphy is an odds making consultant for sports and 'non-sport novelty bets' focused on the entertainment business, politics, technology, financial markets and more.