Carlsen insists on accusing Niemann without evidence

"I think Niemann has cheated more—and more recently—than he admits."

The world chess champion, Magnus Carlsen, continues to base on his beliefs, without providing any evidence, the public accusation of the 19-year-old American Hans Niemann, receiving illegal help from computers during his games.

He says it in a six-paragraph statement, where the most surprising thing is in the last: “I would like to say more.

Unfortunately, I am limited at the moment in what I can say without Niemann's explicit permission."

It is the first time that the Norwegian accuses clearly instead of throwing the stone and hiding his hand in the two facts that he recalls in the first paragraph.

His withdrawal, for the first time in his life, from a tournament, the Sinquefield Cup in San Luis (USA), in the 3rd round after losing to Niemann.

And his outrageous and unsportsmanlike surrender after a single move in the game with the American in the quick online tournament Julius Baer.

On the first of these two facts, Carlsen explains: "I had the impression that he was not tense or even totally focused on the most critical positions of the game while he was overwhelming me with the black pieces as only a handful of players can do." .

And he explains his screeching attitude in the second: "I don't want to play with people who have cheated in the past because I don't know what they will be able to do [more cheats] in the future."

Niemann has acknowledged that he didn't play fair in online games between the ages of 13 and 16, but claims he hasn't since, and never in live games.

He was therefore expelled from the virtual club Chess.com, with tens of millions of users, which a few weeks ago bought its main competitor, Chess24, from the Play Magnus business group, whose main shareholder is Carlsen.

The networks contain tons of opinions or analyses, in writing or on video, of all the games played by Niemann in recent years, with statistics on the high percentage of his moves that coincide with those preferred by computers, graphs of his meteoric progression in the world list —it is not the only one, but it is one of the fastest— and the most varied details.

Niemann looks at Carlsen during their Sinquefield Cup game in St. Louis, USA.Lennart Ootes

Among them, the Dutchman Anish Giri, seventh in the world, has revealed the movements he remembers from two informal games between Carlsen and Niemann that he witnessed on a Miami beach in August, where a rapid tournament was played in which Niemann he beat the Scandinavian for the first time.

Ten days later the Sinquefield Cup began in Miami.

Carlsen now says that he "seriously considered not participating" in protest at Niemann's invitation at the last minute, but that he finally decided to play.

Two logical possibilities follow from Carlsen's account: that he had suspected Niemann for a long time, which did not prevent him from going with him to play games on the beach, perhaps to confirm his suspicions;

and that, in those moments of relaxation and alleged complicity, Niemann said something to him that would now supposedly shed much light on the scandal.

But both are compatible with the opinion that "elite chess players tend to be paranoid and accuse of cheating when they lose to young players", first expressed by the American of Armenian origin Levón Aronian, tenth in the world, who, without However, he later changed to others closer to Carlsen's position.

An elite player (in this case, a newcomer) has never been shown to be guilty of cheating.

The champion's statement includes a paragraph, the second, which will probably be supported unanimously: “I know that my actions have frustrated many in the chess community.

I am frustrated.

I want to play chess.

I want to continue playing at the highest level in the best tournaments.”

Also the principle of the third: “I think that cheating is something very serious and a threat to the existence of chess.

I also believe that the organizers and everyone who cares about the purity of the game we love should seriously consider increasing security measures and cheat detection methods in live chess.”

And, above all, the last sentence: "I trust that the truth of this matter will come to light, whatever it may be."

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