Chess.com and Hans Niemann have made peace over the 2022 cheating scandal
Chess.com and Hans Niemann have made peace over the 2022 cheating scandal
Enlarge / US International Grandmaster Hans Niemann on day two of the Saint Louis Chess Club Fall Chess Classic in St. Louis, Missouri on October 6, 2022.
Tim Vizer / AFP
Last September the internet was abuzz for weeks over a chess cheating controversy that erupted in the Sinquefield Cup third round. Reigning world chess champion Magnus Carlsen lost to a 19-year-old named Hans Niemann in what was widely seen as a shocking upset. Carlsen withdrew from the tournament the next day - an incident considered "virtually unprecedented" at such a high level of chess - and his cryptic comments on Twitter fueled widespread speculation that Niemann cheated.
Things snowballed from there, with a thorough investigation and $100 million lawsuit filed by Niemann in October. A judge dismissed the lawsuit in June. Today, Niemann and Chess.com have finally "resolved their differences" and fixed the issue. Niemann can now return to Chess.com and is eligible to play in any event. All parties involved are free to express their opinions on the controversy.
The Carlsen/Niemann affair is considered the most serious cheating scandal since the 2006 World Chess Championship, nicknamed "Toiletgate" because Veselin Topalov accused his opponent, Vladimir Kramnik, of going too often in the toilet. (Topalov believed that Kramnik received computer support during the match via these bathroom breaks, later insisting that network cables were found in the bathroom ceiling.) Anti-cheating measures have since been removed. improved for future chess events in response. These measures include non-linear junction detectors to detect electronic components, an RF machine to detect infrared signals, the confiscation of electronic components from spectators, a 30-minute broadcast delay for American chess championships and even the use a doctor to inspect players' ears for hidden transmitters. /p>
The fact that Niemann admitted to repeatedly cheating in online chess games when he was 12 and 15 years old did not help his case, but he firmly insisted that he did not had ever cheated in a game of chess over the board. Chess.com removed Niemann from its platform after the Sinquefield Cup. Three weeks after his withdrawal, Carlsen released a statement explaining his decision, saying he believed Niemann had cheated more often (and more recently) than Niemann had admitted to and that he did not want to play Niemann.
Opinions among others within the chess community were divided as the controversy fueled widespread speculation. For example, former world champion Anatoly Karpov said Carlsen had a bad opening and couldn't deal with the consequences, calling the cheating allegations "completely absurd". Others, including former world champion Garry Kasparov, criticized Carlsen for making accusations of cheating without proof. Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura supported Carlsen, saying that Niemann had previously been banned from Chess.com for cheating in online games.
The fierce debate even spawned a bizarre viral conspiracy theory that Niemann used...
Enlarge / US International Grandmaster Hans Niemann on day two of the Saint Louis Chess Club Fall Chess Classic in St. Louis, Missouri on October 6, 2022.
Tim Vizer / AFP
Last September the internet was abuzz for weeks over a chess cheating controversy that erupted in the Sinquefield Cup third round. Reigning world chess champion Magnus Carlsen lost to a 19-year-old named Hans Niemann in what was widely seen as a shocking upset. Carlsen withdrew from the tournament the next day - an incident considered "virtually unprecedented" at such a high level of chess - and his cryptic comments on Twitter fueled widespread speculation that Niemann cheated.
Things snowballed from there, with a thorough investigation and $100 million lawsuit filed by Niemann in October. A judge dismissed the lawsuit in June. Today, Niemann and Chess.com have finally "resolved their differences" and fixed the issue. Niemann can now return to Chess.com and is eligible to play in any event. All parties involved are free to express their opinions on the controversy.
The Carlsen/Niemann affair is considered the most serious cheating scandal since the 2006 World Chess Championship, nicknamed "Toiletgate" because Veselin Topalov accused his opponent, Vladimir Kramnik, of going too often in the toilet. (Topalov believed that Kramnik received computer support during the match via these bathroom breaks, later insisting that network cables were found in the bathroom ceiling.) Anti-cheating measures have since been removed. improved for future chess events in response. These measures include non-linear junction detectors to detect electronic components, an RF machine to detect infrared signals, the confiscation of electronic components from spectators, a 30-minute broadcast delay for American chess championships and even the use a doctor to inspect players' ears for hidden transmitters. /p>
The fact that Niemann admitted to repeatedly cheating in online chess games when he was 12 and 15 years old did not help his case, but he firmly insisted that he did not had ever cheated in a game of chess over the board. Chess.com removed Niemann from its platform after the Sinquefield Cup. Three weeks after his withdrawal, Carlsen released a statement explaining his decision, saying he believed Niemann had cheated more often (and more recently) than Niemann had admitted to and that he did not want to play Niemann.
Opinions among others within the chess community were divided as the controversy fueled widespread speculation. For example, former world champion Anatoly Karpov said Carlsen had a bad opening and couldn't deal with the consequences, calling the cheating allegations "completely absurd". Others, including former world champion Garry Kasparov, criticized Carlsen for making accusations of cheating without proof. Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura supported Carlsen, saying that Niemann had previously been banned from Chess.com for cheating in online games.
The fierce debate even spawned a bizarre viral conspiracy theory that Niemann used...
Enlarge / US International Grandmaster Hans Niemann on day two of the Saint Louis Chess Club Fall Chess Classic in St. Louis, Missouri on October 6, 2022.
Tim Vizer / AFP
