New Delhi: After pulling back from the Sinquefield Cup and resigning against Hans Niemann after two moves, world number 1, Magnus Carlsen finally opened up about the cheating controversy. The world champion took on Twitter to issue a statement about the matter. He believes Niemann has cheated more than he has admitted and said he is unwilling to play with Hans.
Magnus began his statement by accepting the fact that his actions in the game against Neimann have ‘frustrated’ many in the chess community and he himself is frustrated at the moment. He further assured that he wants to play chess at the highest level and stated that cheating is an ‘existential threat to the game’. He asked the organisers to have strict security measures against cheating in over-the-board chess.
My statement regarding the last few weeks. pic.twitter.com/KY34DbcjLo
— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) September 26, 2022
Magnus told that when Hans was named in the lineup for the Sinquefield Cup, he thought to withdraw, but chose to play instead. He said, “I believe that Niemann has cheated more — and more recently — than he has publicly admitted. His over the board progress has been unusual, and throughout our game in the Sinquefield Cup I had the impression that he wasn’t tense or even fully concentrating on the game in critical positions, while outplaying me as black in a way I think only a handful of players can do. This game contributed to changing my perspective.”
He also stated that he is bound in what he can say without ‘explicit permission’ from Niemann. Magnus admitted that his actions have shown that he is not willing to play chess with Neimann. He ended the not by saying, “I hope that the truth on this matter comes out, whatever it may be.”
The tweet came just on the same day that the US Chess Federation announced the lineup for the 2022 US Championships, with Hans Niemann playing in it. The controversy has divided the chess community with a few grandmasters coming out in support of Hans, while a few believe that Magnus is right. A few days ago FIDE issues a statement saying that there could have been a better way for Magnus to handle the situation. FIDE will also investigate the matter and has also proposed a panel for preventive measures for cheating.
