It seems that Fabiano Caruana has received an invitation to play in the 2013 U.S. Championship, and he has tweeted his intention to play, schedule permitting. For years I've jokingly appended "send him back" when reporting news of Caruana's successes, but unless he's moving back and planning to represent the USA in international events I don't get this move by the US Chess Federation at all. He doesn't live here and isn't doing a thing for chess in the United States, so why are we paying him to show up and take money and an opportunity away from someone who lives and works here? In American politics, we ridicule as "carpet-baggers" politicians who move to a district just to get elected there; here, we're "electing" Caruana without even making him move. If he's changing federations, he's welcome back, but otherwise this is insane.
[HT: Kevin Connelly]