Carlsen–Niemann controversy: Difference between revisions
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== Public reactions == |
== Public reactions == |
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The controversy has also garnered significant attention from outside of the chess community, including on American [[late-night talk show]]s ''[[The Daily Show with Trevor Noah]]''<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh0Bzul5vEc |title=The Daily Show with Trevor Noah |date=15 September 2022 |last=Noah |first=Trevor |type=Television production |publisher=[[Comedy Central]] |author-link=Trevor Noah |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> and ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]'',<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLwyhmmEoAQ |title=The Late Show with Stephen Colbert |date=16 September 2022 |last=Colbert |first=Stephen |type=Television production |publisher=[[CBS]] |author-link=Stephen Colbert |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> and business magnate [[Elon Musk]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pahwa |first=Nitish |date=September 15, 2022 |title=A Guide to the Cheating Scandal Roiling the World of Chess |url=https://slate.com/culture/2022/09/chess-cheating-scandal-magnus-carlsen-hans-moke-niemann-anal-beads.html |access-date=September 19, 2022 |website=Slate Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Many observers focused on rampant speculation, without evidence, that the mechanism by which Niemann could have received computer assistance was a vibrating device ([[anal beads]]) inserted in his [[anus]].<ref name="slate" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Mouriquand |first=David |date=16 September 2022 |title=Chess grandmaster denies cheating by using anal beads |work=[[Euronews]] |url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/09/16/chess-grandmaster-denies-cheating-by-using-anal-beads |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wong |first=Matteo |date=17 September 2022 |title=Chess is just poker now |work=[[The Atlantic]] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/09/carlsen-niemann-chess-cheating-poker/671472/ |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Barr |first=Kyle |date=19 September 2022 |title=Following 'anal bead scandal', chess master rematch ends in resignation |work=[[Gizmodo]] |url=https://gizmodo.com/chess-magnus-carlsen-hans-niemann-ai-chess24-1849554969 |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> It was first propagated as a joke in [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmaster]] [[Eric Hansen (chess player)|Eric Hansen]]'s [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] chat and then spread to the /r/anarchychess |
The controversy has also garnered significant attention from outside of the chess community, including on American [[late-night talk show]]s ''[[The Daily Show with Trevor Noah]]''<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh0Bzul5vEc |title=The Daily Show with Trevor Noah |date=15 September 2022 |last=Noah |first=Trevor |type=Television production |publisher=[[Comedy Central]] |author-link=Trevor Noah |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> and ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]'',<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLwyhmmEoAQ |title=The Late Show with Stephen Colbert |date=16 September 2022 |last=Colbert |first=Stephen |type=Television production |publisher=[[CBS]] |author-link=Stephen Colbert |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> and business magnate [[Elon Musk]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pahwa |first=Nitish |date=September 15, 2022 |title=A Guide to the Cheating Scandal Roiling the World of Chess |url=https://slate.com/culture/2022/09/chess-cheating-scandal-magnus-carlsen-hans-moke-niemann-anal-beads.html |access-date=September 19, 2022 |website=Slate Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Many observers focused on rampant speculation, without evidence, that the mechanism by which Niemann could have received computer assistance was a vibrating device ([[anal beads]]) inserted in his [[anus]].<ref name="slate" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Mouriquand |first=David |date=16 September 2022 |title=Chess grandmaster denies cheating by using anal beads |work=[[Euronews]] |url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/09/16/chess-grandmaster-denies-cheating-by-using-anal-beads |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wong |first=Matteo |date=17 September 2022 |title=Chess is just poker now |work=[[The Atlantic]] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/09/carlsen-niemann-chess-cheating-poker/671472/ |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Barr |first=Kyle |date=19 September 2022 |title=Following 'anal bead scandal', chess master rematch ends in resignation |work=[[Gizmodo]] |url=https://gizmodo.com/chess-magnus-carlsen-hans-niemann-ai-chess24-1849554969 |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> It was first propagated as a joke in [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmaster]] [[Eric Hansen (chess player)|Eric Hansen]]'s [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] chat and then spread to the /r/anarchychess [[Reddit|subreddit]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-15 |title=The Chess Grandmaster Anal Bead Conspiracy That's Happening Right Now, Explained |url=https://kotaku.com/chess-champion-anal-bead-magnus-carlsen-hans-niemann-1849542639 |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=Kotaku |language=en-us}}</ref> It was suggested that Niemann was cheating using anal beads that vibrated the [[Chess engine|computer-suggested move]] via [[Morse code|Morse Code]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Meanwhile... Sitting Is Killing Us {{!}} Anal Bead Chess Scandal |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLwyhmmEoAQ |language=en |access-date=2022-09-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Inflatabledartboard4 |date=2022-09-16 |title=Trevor Noah weighs in on Hans Niemann scandal |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/AnarchyChess/comments/xfjp7i/trevor_noah_weighs_in_on_hans_niemann_scandal/ |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=r/AnarchyChess}}</ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
Revision as of 18:02, 26 September 2022
In September 2022, a controversy between chess grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, the world chess champion, and Hans Niemann arose, beginning in the 2022 Sinquefield Cup. Carlsen, after surprisingly losing in their first matchup, dropped out of the tournament. Many interpreted his withdrawal as an insinuation of an accusation that Niemann cheated. In their next tournament meetup, Carlsen abruptly resigned on the second move, perplexing observers again.
It has been described as the most serious cheating controversy for international chess since the Toiletgate incident in the World Chess Championship 2006.[1]
Sinquefield Cup
In the third round of the 2022 edition of the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri, Carlsen, the No. 1 rated player at the time and World Chess Champion, lost to Niemann, a 19-year-old Grandmaster, in an over-the-board game on 4 September.[2] Niemann defeated Carlsen with the black pieces, playing the Nimzo-Indian Defence. Niemann's live rating surpassed 2700 for the first time with this win.[3][4] Slate described the result as a "shocking upset" for Carlsen, ending his 53-game unbeaten streak to a player far lower rated and in a game where he had the white pieces (and therefore the first-move advantage).[2][5]
Carlsen's withdrawal
Carlsen withdrew from the tournament the following day, tweeting a simple announcement of his withdrawal alongside a video of José Mourinho saying "I prefer really not to speak. If I speak, I am in big trouble."[2][6] Carlsen's withdrawal did not formally allege that Niemann had cheated, but the broader community saw his tweet as heavily insinuating an accusation.[7]
The executive director of the St. Louis Chess Club, Tony Rich, said in a statement, "A player's decision to withdraw from a tournament is a personal decision, and we respect Magnus' choice."[8][9] Rich later elaborated that no formal complaint was made in writing.[8] Chief Arbiter Chris Bird published a statement affirming that there was "no indication that any player has been playing unfairly" during the tournament. Bird's statement did not address the reason to add additional security measures after Magnus' withdrawal.[10][2] Even so, the organizers had increased metal detection on the players and introduced a 15-minute broadcast delay for the following rounds of the tournament.[11] Emil Sutovsky, the director-general of FIDE, noted that Carlsen had not previously quit a tournament due to a poor result and thus opined that Carlsen must have believed he had "a compelling reason" to do so.[7][11]
Former world champion Garry Kasparov noted that Carlsen's withdrawal from the tournament had "no precedent in the past 50 years", and called on Carlsen, who has thus far refrained from comment on the controversy, to explain his decision.[12]
Cheating allegations against Niemann
Grandmaster and streamer Hikaru Nakamura said he believed Carlsen had likely suspected Niemann of cheating, claiming that Niemann had previously been banned from Chess.com for cheating in online chess games.[11][13][1][14] Levon Aronian, a Grandmaster who was playing in the tournament, defended Niemann, stating that most high-level players are "pretty much paranoid" and that young players often draw accusations of cheating after strong play.[2] Later on, however, Aronian stated that he "really didn't know much about a lot of things" and now finds himself "somewhere in the middle." He added, "I do believe Hans has not been the cleanest person when it comes to online chess."[15]
In an interview on 6 September 2022, Niemann denied having cheated during the Sinquefield Cup and accused Carlsen, Nakamura, and Chess.com of attempting to ruin his career. He admitted that he had previously cheated in Chess.com; once when he was 12 years old during an online tournament and then when he was 16 years old in unrated online games. He maintained that he never cheated in an over-the-board game.[16][17][18][19] He offered to play in a closed environment without electronic connections and said "if they want me to strip fully naked, I will do it" to disprove any allegations of cheating.[13] Niemann asserted that Chess.com had suspended him again from the site and their events in light of the controversy.[17][18] Chess.com's chief chess officer, Daniel Rensch, in a statement on Twitter disputed Niemann's denials in his interview and affirmed that Niemann would remain suspended pending an explanation of his past cheating.[20][1] In Reddit posts, Chess.com CEO, Erik Allebest, hinted that more information might be released.[21]
A statistical analysis of Niemann's games since 2020, including the Sinquefield Cup game between Carlsen and Niemann, by anti-cheating expert Ken Regan[22][23] saw no evidence of cheating.[24][25]
After the event, grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi commented that he had asked the St Louis organisers for additional anti-cheating measures once he heard Niemann would be playing in the event.[25] Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana mentioned that Carlsen was already "upset" about Niemann's inclusion and had considered leaving before the tournament began.[25]
Julius Baer Generation Cup
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On 19 September, Carlsen resigned an online game against Niemann after having only played one move. The game took place on the chess24 platform, with the candidates appearing on camera over Microsoft Teams,[26] during round 6 of the Julius Baer Generation Cup, a section of the Champions Chess Tour 2022.[26][27] The game began with the Indian Defence (1.d4 Nf6) and after Niemann played 2.c4, Carlsen resigned the game and switched off his webcam.[28] The resignation of the game prompted confusion and surprise from commentators Tania Sachdev and Péter Lékó.[28][29] Grandmaster Maurice Ashley tweeted: "This is shocking and disturbing. No one can be happy that this is happening in the chess world. Unbelievable!"[28]
On 21 September, after the end of the preliminary rounds of the tournament, Carlsen responded to a question from Chess24's broadcast of why he forfeited: "Unfortunately, I cannot particularly speak on that, but people can draw their own conclusions, and they certainly have. I have to say I'm very impressed by Niemann's play and I think his mentor Maxim Dlugy must be doing a great job."[30] Dlugy has also faced accusations of cheating on Chess.com.[31][21]
On 23 September, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich released a statement on behalf of FIDE. Dvorkovich criticized Carlsen for his actions and mentioned the "moral responsibility attached to his status", claiming that "there were better ways to handle this situation." Dvorkovich stated that FIDE has "invested in forming a group of specialists to devise sophisticated preventive measures [against cheating] that already apply at top FIDE events," and that FIDE calls for "reinforcing the cooperation between major online platforms, private events and top players." Dvorkovich announced that FIDE would task its Fair Play commission to investigate the incident "when the adequate initial proof is provided".[32][33][34]
On 25 September, Carlsen won the tournament after defeating Arjun Erigaisi in the second final match. Upon questioning by Chess24, Carlsen said he would provide a statement on the controversy within days. Carlsen added that he "generally [wants] cheating in chess to be dealt with seriously" and he would address the topic in the future.[35]
In an interview with TV 2's chess broadcast, Carlsen was asked whether it was right that Niemann was allowed to participate in the next tournament on the tour. He replied: "I am not going to change my point of view on whether I want to play against him or not, but I am not the one who invites players to tournaments. Those decisions are made by others." Carlsen said he would "probably" post his statement through social media and that there were limits on what he could say. He did not state if those limits were for legal reasons. Carlsen stated that he wanted more focus on "fair play" in chess: "It has always been a code of honor in the game at the top level that you trust each other. You know it is possible to cheat and probably not get caught, but it is so totally devastating to be caught, so then you trust that the incentives are not big enough for the best to cheat. It may feel like the time is ripe to change that point of view."[36]
Public reactions
The controversy has also garnered significant attention from outside of the chess community, including on American late-night talk shows The Daily Show with Trevor Noah[37] and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,[38] and business magnate Elon Musk.[39] Many observers focused on rampant speculation, without evidence, that the mechanism by which Niemann could have received computer assistance was a vibrating device (anal beads) inserted in his anus.[5][40][41][42] It was first propagated as a joke in grandmaster Eric Hansen's Twitch chat and then spread to the /r/anarchychess subreddit.[43] It was suggested that Niemann was cheating using anal beads that vibrated the computer-suggested move via Morse Code.[44][45]
References
- ^ a b c "Chess: Hans Niemann hits back over 'cheating' controversy in St Louis". The Guardian. September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Keener, Greg (September 13, 2022). "The chess world isn't ready for a cheating scandal". The New York Times. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ McGourty, Colin (September 5, 2022). "Sinquefield Cup 3: Niemann beats Carlsen to cross 2700".
- ^ "Niemann Outplays Carlsen, Claims Lead, Crosses 2700". www.chess.com. September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ a b Pahwa, Nitish (September 15, 2022). "Everything you could possibly want to know about the cheating scandal roiling the world of chess". Slate. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ McGourty, Colin (September 5, 2022). "Magnus Carlsen withdraws from the Sinquefield Cup". Chess24. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Beaton, Andrew; Robinson, Joshua (September 8, 2022). "Chess is in chaos over suspicion that a player cheated against Magnus Carlsen". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Keener, Greg (September 13, 2022). "The Chess World Isn't Ready for a Cheating Scandal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen Withdraws from Sinquefield Cup Currently Being Held at the Saint Louis Chess Club | Grand Chess Tour". grandchesstour.org. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Sinquefield Cup 8: Firouzja leapfrogs So". chess24.com. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ a b c Bode, Karl (September 7, 2022). "The chess world is absolutely losing it over cheating allegations after massive upset". Vice News. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ Klee, Miles (September 14, 2022). "Vibrating butt toys are exactly what chess needs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ a b Ingle, Sean (September 7, 2022). "Top chess player Hans Niemann admits cheating in past but says he is now 'clean'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Robinson, Andrew Beaton and Joshua (September 8, 2022). "Chess Is in Chaos Over Suspicion That a Player Cheated Against Magnus Carlsen". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Watson, Leon (September 19, 2022). "Magnus Carlsen resigns against Hans Niemann after ONE move: The reaction". chess24. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ Robinson, Andrew Beaton and Joshua (September 8, 2022). "Chess Is in Chaos Over Suspicion That a Player Cheated Against Magnus Carlsen". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "Hans Niemann hits back at his critics". Chess24.com. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "Top chess player Hans Niemann admits cheating in past but says he is now 'clean'". the Guardian. September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ "Magnus Carlsen leaves Sinquefield Cup amid Niemann chess 'cheating' furore". The Guardian. September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ "Chess.com and Nakamura respond to Hans Niemann's interview". Chess24.com. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "The people who police chess cheats: 'We built a crime scene analysis for every player in the world'". The Guardian. September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ "Ken Regan Faculty Expert".
- ^ Goldowsky, Howard (June 2014). "How to Catch a Chess Cheater: Ken Regan Finds Moves Out of Mind" (PDF). Chess Life. United States Chess Federation. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ Chan, Wilfred. "The people who police chess cheats: 'We built a crime scene analysis for every player in the world'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
Sinquefield Cup officials asked Regan to run the program on Carlsen and Niemann's game and the results were unambiguous: "I found nothing," he said. Regan's model showed Neimann's performance "was one standard deviation up" on some metrics, "but by definition the standard deviation standardly happens"
- ^ a b c "Nepo asked for extra measures against Niemann in St Louis". chess24. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Porterfield, Carlie (September 19, 2022). "World chess champion Magnus Carlsen resigns from match after just one move against player at center of 'cheating' scandal". Forbes. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "Magnus Carlsen resigns from rematch with Hans Niemann after opening move". The Guardian. September 19, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c Backhouse, Andrew (September 19, 2022). "Magnus Carlsen resigns after one move against Hans Niemann". Fox Sports. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "Magnus Carlsen resigns against Hans Niemann after ONE move". chess24. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ "Breaking: Carlsen speaks after winning Generation Cup prelims". Chessbase. September 21, 2022.
- ^ "Magnus scores record win, breaks silence on Hans". chess24. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ "FIDE Statement on the Carlsen - Niemann polemic". www.fide.com. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ "Carlsen could face FIDE investigation over #chessdrama cheating row". chess24. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ Doggers (PeterDoggers), Peter. "Dvorkovich Criticizes Carlsen, Tasks Fair Play Committee To Investigate". Chess.com. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ "Carlsen beats Erigaisi to win the Julius Baer Generation Cup". chess24.com. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "Carlsen om Niemann-dramaet: Kommer ikke til å si alt". www.vg.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Noah, Trevor (September 15, 2022). The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Television production). Comedy Central. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Colbert, Stephen (September 16, 2022). The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Television production). CBS. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Pahwa, Nitish (September 15, 2022). "A Guide to the Cheating Scandal Roiling the World of Chess". Slate Magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ Mouriquand, David (September 16, 2022). "Chess grandmaster denies cheating by using anal beads". Euronews. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Wong, Matteo (September 17, 2022). "Chess is just poker now". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Barr, Kyle (September 19, 2022). "Following 'anal bead scandal', chess master rematch ends in resignation". Gizmodo. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "The Chess Grandmaster Anal Bead Conspiracy That's Happening Right Now, Explained". Kotaku. September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ^ Meanwhile... Sitting Is Killing Us | Anal Bead Chess Scandal, retrieved September 18, 2022
- ^ Inflatabledartboard4 (September 16, 2022). "Trevor Noah weighs in on Hans Niemann scandal". r/AnarchyChess. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
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