According to a Chess.com report examined by the Wall Street Journal, Hans Niemann, the 19-year-old American chess player entangled in a cheating controversy, possibly engaged in more online cheating than he has confessed.
Niemann “possibly got illicit aid,” as The Journal reported, in more than 100 online games as recently as 2020. There were several contests with prizes.
Niemann was allegedly briefly banned from Chess.com after privately admitting to cheating.
Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world champion, accused Niemann of cheating in September. After falling victim to Niemann in a dramatic upset, Carlsen withdrew from a tournament under mysterious circumstances. Soon later, Carlsen withdrew from an online match versus Niemann after just one move, leading the chess community to speculate as to why.
On September 26, Carlsen finally issued a statement in which he expressed his belief that Niemann “had cheated more—and more recently—than he has officially confessed.”
During their Sinquefield Cup encounter, Carlsen said Niemann came out as too distant.
When it came to our Sinquefield Cup match, Carlsen said, “His over the board progress has been unusual, and throughout our game 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.”
While he was 12 and 16, Niemann acknowledged using a cheat code when playing online. He said that neither he nor Carlsen had ever cheated in an over-the-board match.
However, according to an investigation by Chess.com, Niemann accessed a new screen on his computer around the same time that he seemed to be using an engine during online games.
Chess expert and the first Black grandmaster Maurice Ashley claimed to Insider that computer programs are usually more strategically adept than the best human players.
Chess authorities watch player behavior and movements in addition to using cameras and screen-monitoring software to determine whether it matches computer predictions.
They also take into account historical data on players’ normal playing styles and movement rates.
Ashley claims that Chess.com has the most advanced anti-cheating systems, despite the fact that this is an imprecise science.
Niemann apparently made a great improvement in over-the-board games, and the inquiry reportedly took notice of this even though it didn’t directly claim he had cheated.
According to the inquiry, Niemann’s ELO rating, which is the metric used to rank players, increased more dramatically than any other young player after Niemann turned 17 and became a grandmaster. Niemann’s progress was described in the inquiry report as “statistically remarkable.”
Over-the-board match cheating is significantly complicated and more difficult to establish. A player getting communication from a covert electronic gadget is one of the suspected techniques.
Cell phones are no longer permitted at events, and some organizations demand that participants pass through metal detectors to check for concealed gadgets.
Niemann, for instance, volunteered to play a game while completely nude to demonstrate that he wasn’t concealing any communication equipment.
Players could get visual clues from “accomplices” in competitions where spectators are permitted, claims Ashley. Despite the grandmaster’s comment that it would be “ballsy” to do so given the amount of officials present, skilled players might betray a move with a single gesture.
The governing organization of chess, FIDE, is also looking into the Carlsen-Niemann incident.