- Alessio Terrain
- BBC news
October 5, 2022
photo released, SAINT LOUIS CHESS CLUB / CRYSTAL FULLER
World champion Magnus Carlsen (left) rocked the chess world by accusing Hans Niemann (right) of cheating.
An investigation found that American chess player Hans Niemann “probably” cheated in more than 100 online games.
World chess champion Magnus Carlsen accused Neiman of cheating, although no evidence was provided.
Now, a Chess.com investigation suggests Neiman may have cheated “a lot more” than he admitted.
But the site found no evidence that Neiman cheated in his match against Carlsen or in any “on the board” game.
The American admitted he cheated in unofficial matches when he was younger, but denied having done so in official matches.
The 19-year-old, contacted by the BBC for comment, had previously accused Carlsen and Chess.com of attempting to ruin his career.
photo released, Getty Images
The scandal started earlier this month after Carlsen’s defeat to Neiman in the Sinkfield Cup with a big surprise
The scandal began earlier this month after Carlsen, considered by many to be the greatest chess player of all time, was defeated by Neiman in the Sinkfield Cup in a major upheaval.
The Norwegian player made veiled allegations of fraud against Neiman at the time, before publicly accusing him last week.
Now, Chess.com has shown the results of a 72-page survey of Neiman’s games played on the site, which is contested by most of the best players in the world, including games for cash prizes.
The site, which banned Neiman for allegedly cheating, claims the American player may have cheated recently in 2020, including during cash prizes and against high-ranking “famous” characters in the game.
The site’s analysis compared Neiman’s moves with those suggested by chess computers – far better than even the best players – and the odds of his outcome, among other factors.
“Overall, we found that Hans likely cheated in more than 100 online chess games, including during many cash prize competitions,” the report said.
He added: “He was already 17 when he probably cheated in some of these matches. He was also watching live video online during 25 of these matches.”
This report contradicts statements made by Neiman earlier, in which he claimed that he only cheated in unofficial matches on the site when he was twelve and sixteen, but never did so in competitive matches or when he was watching videos on gaming platforms. Like Twitch.
Although his results are “statistically unusual,” Chess.com said there was “no direct evidence” that Neiman had cheated in his match against Carlsen or in past chess matches.
Carlsen released a statement last week stating that Neiman cheated in the Sinkfield Cup match in Missouri, saying he was “not nervous or even completely focused” as he beat him using the black pieces “in a way that I think he was. only a few players can do it. “
Carlsen also said he doubted Neiman because he had made “extraordinary” progress in recent years. Others argue that Neiman’s progress, despite his speed, is comparable to that of other prominent youngsters.
No evidence of treason was presented by Neiman, who said he was willing to play naked.
Chess.com said there were “some aspects” of the match that were “suspicious”, including the explanation of Neiman’s match afterward.
The site also indicated the presence of “deviations” in Neiman’s rate of improvement, which propelled him up the world rankings of classical chess from nearly 800th place in the world to the top 50 in less than two years.
The site said this increase was the fastest in “recent recorded history” and occurred “much later in life than its peers”.
The site also denied it was pushed by Carlsen, who has dominated chess for more than a decade, to ban Neiman.
Carlsen insisted that he would no longer play against Neiman. Earlier this month he retired in protest after just one match when the two faced off in an online tournament.
When the controversy arose earlier this month, Neiman publicly and vehemently denied, saying he was willing to play naked to prove he had no hidden electronic devices that could have helped him cheat.
“I don’t care, because I know I’m innocent,” he said. “If you want me to play in an enclosed area with no transmission, I don’t care. I’m here to win, and that’s my goal no matter what.”
A statistical analysis of Neiman’s games by Professor Kenneth Reagan, widely regarded as the leading expert on cheating in chess, found no evidence that Neiman cheated.
