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Summary
- Hans Niemann was recently accused of cheating in chess against world champ Magnus Carlsen
- The 19 year old claimed that he did not cheat even though he had a tainted past
- Chess.com released a 72 page report showing Niemann cheated over 100 times
Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann has courted controversy again after world champion Magnus Carlsen accused him of cheating during the Sinquefield Cup in September 2022.
Now Chess.com has alleged in a report that the 19 year old Niemann has cheated in over 100 games, some of which he had played against noted chess players.
Niemann Cheated More Than He Claimed
Chess.com provided detailed evidence of Niemann cheating in online prize events in a 72-page report. The web platform alleged that the American prodigy had cheated much more in PRO Chess League and Speed Chess Championship Qualifiers, besides prize matches held between July 2015 and August 2020. Earlier in 2020, Niemann had admitted to cheating twice in his career at ages 12 and 16 in a conversation with Chess.com CCO Daniel Rensch.
Chess.com had then banned him from playing. The ban was lifted in 2020 after Niemann promised not to cheat again. After the recent events at the Sinquefield Cup, several suspicions and conspiracy theories about him cheating came up. Niemann offered to play after stripping naked to prove he was clean, to debunk the anal beads theory that was doing the rounds on the internet. He also denied foul play in over-the-board games.
The report suggested that Niemann’s conduct contradicted his claims. Chess.com said it was ready to reveal the contents of the report to Niemann, who repeatedly denied the charges despite the proof against him. The platform had also sent him a letter on September 8 consistent with the evidence in the report.
While Chess.com claimed that it had no proof about Niemann using unfair means after his ban was lifted in 2020, the website said it was doubtful about his recent win against Carlsen. Niemann disclosed that he was banned again from the website after the events at the Sinquefield Cup. The platform also wanted to keep the news of the recent ban private, but it had to react after Niemann confirmed it in public.
Chess.com Doubtful About Niemann’s Victory
Chess.com also noted that Niemann’s over-the-board progress was erratic at various points in his career. The report also suggested that the allegations should be investigated further. The 19-year-old grandmaster has not responded to the web platform’s report.
Till now, there were no convincing allegations against Niemann, but the report would make things worse for the teen grandmaster. Niemann is already the subject of an investigation by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) regarding his conduct in games.
