Over the course of the last two weeks, just about every chess figure has given their opinion on Hans Niemann, whether he has cheated during his rise in over-the-board chess or if those accusations are baseless and untrue. Every figure, that is, except for Magnus Carlsen, the world champion who set off the entire cheating firestorm by withdrawing from the Sinquefield Cup following his loss to Niemann in the event.
Today, Carlsen made his first statement explicitly addressing the situation with Niemann, and he didn’t mince words doing it.
“I believe that Niemann has cheated more—and more recently—than he has publicly admitted,” Carlsen claimed in his statement. He continued, talking about the game that the pair played in the Sinquefield Cup where Carlsen said he didn’t feel like Niemann was even concentrating particularly hard during crucial moments in their game, and saying that Niemann played against Carlsen as the black pieces the way only a few players in the world could.
While that last part might seem like the sour grapes of a player who lost a match he wasn’t supposed to lose, it’s difficult to argue that Carlsen doesn’t have a point. He’s clearly one of the greatest chess players to ever live, with only a couple of other players in history remotely in the same echelon of play.
Carlsen concluded his statement by noting that he would like to say more but that he cannot, most likely fearing legal repercussions. As such, it seems likely that Carlsen may have some further evidence that suggests Niemann cheated in their Sinquefield Cup match, or other matches, but does not have conclusive proof that it’s happened as of yet.
The statement is a big one that will force chess’ various governing bodies and websites to collaborate and investigate the matter further than they have up to this point. Soon after Carlsen’s original withdrawal from the Sinquefield Cup and Niemann’s admission that he had cheated in online chess in the past, Chess.com banned Niemann and made a statement that their investigation into Niemann found “contradictions” to Niemann’s own admission of past guilt. There hasn’t, on the other hand, been much news or indication that Chess.com or any other major chess website was working with FIDE, the major international chess governing body.
Niemann has repeatedly maintained his innocence amidst the cheating accusations but may find it difficult to now gain invitations to prestigious chess tournaments. Carlsen included in his statement that he is “not willing” to play against Niemann any longer, meaning that tournament organizers will most likely need to choose between the two when inviting competitors to their events. For most, that choice will most likely go the way of Carlsen, the world No. 1 who just completed a dominant victory in the Julius Baer Generation Cup, as opposed to Niemann, the 49th-ranked player in the world.
On the other hand, Carlsen’s statement does require him to eventually provide more evidence to support his claims that Niemann cheated. And if he refuses to provide any, or cannot provide any, the statement won’t reflect well on the champion.
