CNN
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Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann said he “will not back down” as charges of widespread cheating mount.
On Tuesday, an investigation by the popular online platform Chess.com claimed Niemann “probably cheated” in more than 100 online matches, a week after world champion Magnus Carlsen explicitly accused the American of cheating in over-the-board games.
Niemann, 19, has only admitted to cheating twice in his chess career when he was 12 and 16 years old, and on Wednesday said his “chess speaks for itself” after beating Christopher Yoo in the first round of the U.S. Championship in St. Louis.
“This race is a message for everyone,” Niemann said after his win. “This whole thing started with me saying that chess speaks for itself and I think this game spoke for itself and showed the chess player that I am.
“It also showed that I’m not going back and playing my best chess here, no matter the pressure I’m under.”
After only giving one answer, Niemann ended his post-match interview by saying, “It was such a beautiful game that I don’t even need to describe it.”
He then faces Jeffery Xiong in the second round of the US Championship, which runs until October 20.
According to the Chess.com report, Niemann privately confessed in 2020 that he cheated on the website’s chief chess officer, which resulted in him being temporarily banned from the platform.
According to the report, Chess.com closed Niemann’s account in September, given his previous admissions of cheating, suspicions about his recent play and concerns about his steep, inconsistent rise in rank.
“While we have no doubt that Hans is a talented player, we note that his results are statistically extraordinary,” the report said.
CNN previously contacted Niemann about the allegations in the report.
Carlsen first made explicit allegations of Niemann’s cheating after two incidents between the pair – the first when Carlsen withdrew from last month’s Sinquefield Cup after losing to Niemann, and the second when he stopped their match at the Julius Baer Generation Cup. after making only one move .
The Norwegian said he believes his rival has cheated “more – and more recently – than he has publicly admitted” and that “his progress in governance has been unusual”.
“During our play in the Sinquefield Cup, I had the impression that he was not tense or even fully focused on the game in critical positions, while he outplayed me as black in a way that I think only a handful of players can do.” added Carlsen. .
FIDE, the sport’s global governing body, said it would launch an investigation into Carlsen’s claims.
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