Carlsen withdraws from a tournament in the USA after a loss, without explaining it

It is the first time that Magnus Carlsen has withdrawn from a tournament.

He does so after a 53-game unbeaten streak (in the classical mode, not counting the rapid ones) and six weeks after announcing that he will not defend his world title in April.

It has happened in one of the stellar tournaments of the year, the Sinquefield Cup, in San Luis (USA) on the same day of his defeat in the 3rd round against the American Hans Niemann, 19 years old.

The champion did not explain his withdrawal, but his tweet – “I withdraw from the tournament.

I have always enjoyed playing at the San Luis Club and I hope to return" - he quoted a phrase from soccer coach José Mourinho: "If I speak, I will have a big problem", which fuels the theory that he accuses Niemann of cheating.

The organizers themselves, very experienced, have further nurtured that interpretation by immediately deciding that the broadcast of the games will not be strictly live but with a delay of 15 minutes.

This is one of the usual measures to prevent cheating with the help of computers;

For example, a player hides a tiny earphone in his ear through which someone -who follows the game live and analyzes it with programs that calculate millions of moves per second- tells him the best moves.

Niemann looks at Carlsen during the game between the two this Sunday in San Luis (USA)Lennart Ootes

However, the detailed analysis of the entire game carried out by the author of this chronicle, comparing Niemann's moves with the recommendations of the most powerful computer programs, does not provide any moderately solid indication to suspect the young American, whose progress has been very fast in the last three years.

There are several moments in which Carlsen was able to choose continuations that tended towards a draw, but he opted for others that were more dangerous or simply wrong.

That attitude is, in general, virtuous, and makes him one of the bravest and most combative champions in history;

In addition, it usually gives you very good results, but it implies the risk of losing from time to time;

in this case, to fit his first defeat of 2022.

Other comments, reflected by specialized journalist Leonid Barden in the

without citing any specific source, insinuate that Carlsen's alleged accusation against Niemann is not for cheating during the game but for having spied on him electronically;

that is, for having violated the security of the computer devices where he prepares his games.

This is much more slippery ground.

But, in any case, Carlsen's defeat had little to do with the outcome of the opening (the first ten or fifteen moves -sometimes more- which are almost always done from memory because they are prepared at home), although it is true that Niemann , with the black pieces, came out of it with a comfortable position.

Niemann receives congratulations from Carlsen after the defeat of thisLennart Ootes

Carlsen started the tournament very well, with an impeccable victory over the world runner-up, the Russian Ian Niepómniashi, whom he already defeated with great clarity last December at the World Cup in Dubai.

Later he drew without much history with the American, of Armenian origin, Levón Aronian.

After giving up the defense of his title, for the Norwegian it is essential to continue being

with ease.

And he has also set himself a very difficult goal: to pass 2,900 points on the world list;

after this controversial defeat, he stays at 2,856.3.

Niemann, who had already beaten Carlsen a month ago in a rapid-match tournament in Miami, said after his victory: “It must be embarrassing for the world champion to lose to an idiot like me.

I feel bad for him".

The American Hikaru Nakamura, who earns much more money from his live shows on the internet than from playing tournaments, was quick to launch into the cheating theory: “Magnus would never do this in a million years if he didn't firmly believe that Hans had killed him. cheated.

So clear".

Instead, Aronian was very blunt in the opposite direction: “Youngsters who play very well are often accused of cheating (…).

All my colleagues are paranoid, and often I'm the one who tells them that's enough.

I always think that youngsters can play very well!”

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