Hans Niemann: Teenage grandmaster 'probably cheated' in dozens of matches, Chess.com claims

Muricas News  — 

Teenage chess grandmaster Hans Niemann “probably cheated” in additional than 100 on-line matches, together with ones with prize cash concerned, in accordance with an investigation by one of many sport’s hottest web sites.

The 72-page report by Chess.com was launched on Tuesday, a month after controversy erupted at a high event when the world chess champion accused the 19-year-old American of dishonest.

Based on the report, first referenced by the Wall Road Journal, Niemann privately confessed to dishonest to the web site’s chief chess officer in 2020, which led to him being briefly banned from the platform.

The report stated Chess.com closed Niemann’s account in September given his earlier acknowledgments of dishonest, suspicions about his latest play and considerations in regards to the steep, inconsistent rise in his rank.

“Whereas we don’t doubt that Hans is a proficient participant, we word that his outcomes are statistically extraordinary,” the report stated.

Niemann has beforehand admitted publicly to dishonest in on-line matches on the ages of 12 and 16 however the investigation alleged he had cheated extra just lately.

Niemann has not responded to Muricas News’s request for remark.

Chess.com has thousands and thousands of customers and hosts greater than 10 million chess video games a day, in accordance with its homeowners. To detect suspected dishonest, the web site makes use of software program that flags suspicious strikes by evaluating a participant’s strikes to these prompt by a chess engine. Fewer than 0.14% of gamers ever cheat on the location, in accordance with the report.

The controversy started final month, when world chess champion Magnus Carlsen accused Niemann of dishonest on the $350,000 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri.

“I imagine that Niemann has cheated extra – and extra just lately – than he has publicly admitted,” the 31-year-old Norwegian stated in a press release posted to Twitter.

“His over the board progress has been uncommon, and all through our sport within the Sinquefield Cup I had the impression that he wasn’t tense and even absolutely concentrating on the sport in vital positions, whereas outplaying me as black in a manner I believe solely a handful of gamers can do. This sport contributed to altering my perspective.”

Carlsen pulled out of the event after dropping to Niemann. Chess’ international governing physique, FIDE, introduced final week that it's investigating Carlsen’s allegations.

Over the board chess is performed head to head, relatively than on-line. Carlsen didn't present particulars about how Niemann might have cheated.

In an interview with the St. Louis Chess Membership final month, Niemann stated he had by no means cheated in over the board video games.

“I cheated on random video games on Chess.com. I used to be confronted. I confessed. And that is the only greatest mistake of my life,” he stated. ” And I'm fully ashamed. I'm telling the world as a result of I don’t need misrepresentations and I don’t need rumours. I've by no means cheated in an over the board sport. And aside from after I was 12 years outdated I've by no means cheated in a event with prize cash.”

Based on the Chess.com report, dishonest in an over the board setting might contain “numerous strategies reminiscent of: hand indicators from a close-by coach or accessing a cellphone within the lavatory, a hidden machine in a shoe, or a wire or buzzer taped to the physique.”

The report stated Chess.com had not sometimes investigated dishonest in over the board video games, but it surely believed Niemann’s performances in some reside video games “benefit additional investigation based mostly on the info.”

“In our view, there isn't a direct proof that proves Hans cheated on the September 4, 2022 sport with Magnus, or proves that he has cheated in different OTB video games prior to now,” the report stated.