CNN
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Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann has said he “won’t back down” as accusations of widespread cheating escalate.
On Tuesday, an investigation by popular online platform Chess.com claimed Niemann had ‘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, admitted to cheating only twice in his chess career at the ages of 12 and 16, and said on Wednesday his ‘chess speaks for itself’ after beating Christopher Yoo in the first round of the US Championship in St . Louis.
“This match is a message for everyone,” Niemann said after his victory. “It all started with me saying that chess speaks for itself and I think this game speaks for itself and showed the chess player that I am.
“It also showed that I won’t back down and play my best chess here no matter how much pressure I’m under.”
After giving only 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 will next face Jeffery Xiong in the second round of the United States Championship, which runs until October 20.
According to Chess.com’s report, Niemann privately confessed to cheating on the website’s chess director in 2020, which led to him being temporarily banned from the platform.
The report says Chess.com shut down Niemann’s account in September based on his previous admissions of cheating, suspicions about his recent play and concerns about his steep and inconsistent rise in rank.
“Although we have no doubt that Hans is a talented player, we note that his results are statistically extraordinary,” the report said.
CNN has already contacted Niemann about the allegations in the report.
Carlsen first made explicit allegations of Niemann cheating after two incidents between the two – the first when Carlsen withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup last month after a loss to Niemann, and the second when he quit their match at the Julius Baer Generation Cup after making a single move. .
The Norwegian said he believed his rival “cheated more – and more recently – than he has publicly admitted” and that “his progress across the board was unusual”.
“Throughout our game in the Sinquefield Cup I felt like he wasn’t uptight or even fully focused on playing in critical positions, while outplaying me as a black one. way that I think only a handful of players can do,” Carlsen added. .
FIDE, the sport’s global governing body, said it would launch an investigation following Carlsen’s claims.
