CNN
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Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann mentioned he’s “not going to again down” as accusations of widespread cheating intensify.
On Tuesday, an investigation by fashionable on-line platform Chess.com claimed Niemann “seemingly cheated” in additional than 100 on-line matches, every week after world champion Magnus Carlsen explicitly accused the American of cheating in over-the-board video games.
The 19-year-old Niemann has solely admitted to dishonest twice in his chess profession on the ages of 12 and 16, and on Wednesday mentioned his “chess speaks for itself” after defeating Christopher Yoo within the first spherical of the US championship in St. Louis.
“This recreation is a message to everybody,” Niemann mentioned after his victory. “This complete factor began with me saying chess speaks for itself and I feel this recreation spoke for itself and confirmed the chess participant that I’m.
“It additionally confirmed that I’m not going to again down and I’m going to play my greatest chess right here whatever the stress that I’m underneath.”
After giving only one reply, Niemann ended his post-game interview by saying “it was such a gorgeous recreation I don’t even want to explain it.”
He subsequent faces Jeffery Xiong within the second spherical of the US championship, which runs till October 20.
In accordance with the report by Chess.com, Niemann privately confessed to dishonest to the web site’s chief chess officer in 2020, which led to him being quickly banned from the platform.
The report mentioned Chess.com closed Niemann’s account in September given his earlier acknowledgments of dishonest, suspicions about his latest play and considerations concerning the steep, inconsistent rise in his rank.
“Whereas we don’t doubt that Hans is a gifted participant, we notice that his outcomes are statistically extraordinary,” the report mentioned.
CNN has beforehand contacted Niemann concerning the allegations within the report.
Carlsen first made specific allegations of Niemann’s dishonest after two incidents between the pair – the primary when Carlsen withdrew from final month’s Sinquefield Cup after a defeat in opposition to Niemann, and the second when he quit their match at the Julius Baer Generation Cup after making only one transfer.
The Norwegian mentioned he believes that his rival “has cheated extra – and extra just lately – than he has publicly admitted” and that “his over the board progress has been uncommon.”
“All through our recreation within the Sinquefield Cup I had the impression that he wasn’t tense and even totally concentrating on the sport in vital positions, whereas outplaying me as black in a method I feel solely a handful of gamers can do,” Carlsen added.
FIDE, the game’s international governing physique, mentioned it might launch an investigation following Carlsen’s claims.
