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Magnus Carlsen roundly accused Hans Niemann of cheating in a lengthy statement on Monday.
Carlsen, the world No. 1 chess player, explained his decision to withdraw from the Sinquefield Cup earlier this month and to forego the Julius Baer Generation Cup match with Niemann after a move .
Niemann has faced allegations of cheating on everything from wireless vibrating anal beads to a vibrating shoe, according to multiple reports, in the past and rumors have taken the internet by storm with Tesla CEO Elon Musk even chimed in at one point.
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Magnus Carlsen (NOR) during the FIDE Chess World Rapid & Blitz 2021 in Warsaw, Poland on December 28, 2021.
(Olympic Photo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
While Carlsen has alluded to the cheating rumors as reasons why he pulled out of his last match against Niemann, he pointed it out directly in the statement.
“I know my actions have frustrated many in the chess community. I am frustrated. I want to play chess. I want to continue to play chess at a high level in the best events,” he said.
“I believe that cheating in chess is a huge problem and an existential threat to the game. I also believe that chess organizers and all those who care about the sanctity of the game we love should seriously consider security measures and cheat detection methods for more than When Niemann was invited at the last minute to the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, I strongly considered retiring before the event.In the end, I chose to play.
“I think Niemann has cheated more, and more recently, than he has publicly admitted. His overall progress has been unusual, and during our match in the Sinquefield Cup I got the impression that he was not tense or even focused on the game in critical positions, while outplaying me as black in a way that I think only a handful of players can do.This game helped change my perspective.
“We have to do something about cheating, and for my part, in the future, I don’t want to play against people who have repeatedly cheated in the past, because I don’t know what they are capable of doing in the future.
Norway’s Magnus Carlsen gestures during his eighth round match against Team Slovakia at the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 in Mahabalipuram on August 6, 2022.
(ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
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“That’s more of what I’d like to say. Unfortunately, at this point I’m limited in what I can say without Niemann’s explicit permission to speak openly. So far I’ve only been able to speak with my actions, and those actions have begun clearly I am not willing to play chess with Niemann. I hope the truth will come out on this matter, whatever it may be.”
FIDE, the International Chess Federation, said Carlsen should not have resigned given his status as world champion while acknowledging the need to fight cheating.
“Firstly, we strongly believe that the World Champion has a moral responsibility attached to his position, as he is seen as a global ambassador for the game. His actions impact on the reputation of his teammates, sporting results and ultimately , can be detrimental. to our game. We strongly believe that there were better ways to handle this situation,” FIDE said.
“At the same time, we share your deep concern about the damage that cheating does to chess. FIDE has led the fight against cheating for many years and we reiterate our zero-tolerance policy towards cheating in any form. Be it online or in any form. “Over the table” cheating is still cheating. We are strongly committed to this fight and have invested in training a group of specialists to devise sophisticated preventive measures that already apply to most important FIDE events”.
Niemann did not address Carlsen’s letter directly.
Magnus Carlsen vs Fabiano Caruana, London, Great Britain, November 26, 2018 Magnus Carlsen of Norway during Round 12 of the World Chess Championship Final.
(REUTERS/Paul Childs)
He denied cheating in an interview with the Chess Club earlier this month.
“I’ve never cheated at a table game. That’s the worst thing I could do: cheat at a tournament with prize money,” he said, via KSDK-TV . “You know my dream came true. I lived my dream for a day beating Magnus, and then, all this happened.”
Niemann had been accused of cheating in the past, both times while playing online when he was younger.
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According to The Guardian, he has said that he has never “cheated at a board game”.
