The current cheating debate in chess was reignited when Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen unexpectedly withdrew from a match against American Hans Niemann.
In before of the dumbfounded commentators, Carlsen abruptly ended a game versus Niemann in the “Julius Baer Generation Cup” online competition on Monday night after making only one move.
The 12-year-old American, who is the five-time world champion, was perceived as the target of the 31-year-gesture, olds, which he did not explain.
After losing to Niemann, a young emerging star in the chess world who has previously acknowledged cheating in online games, Carlsen withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup in the United States a week ago.
Carlsen later shared a video of Jose Mourinho, then the coach of English club Chelsea, from 2014 on Twitter in a tweet that was widely seen as an insinuation.
“Actually, I’d like to remain silent. If I talk, I’m in serious danger.” Many interpreted the Portuguese coach’s words as a protest.
Chris Bird, the main arbitrator for the Sinquefield Cup, said that there has been no proof of wrongdoing, according to Reuters.
In reaction to recent rumours in the chess community, Bird issued a statement saying, “I can certify that we presently have no information that any player has been playing unjustly in the 2022 Sinquefield Cup.
The recent withdrawal by the Norwegian has rekindled the debate.
Anish Giri, a Dutch chess master, told Norwegian television station TV2, “It’s an unusual instance.”
I can see it from Magnus’ perspective since he doesn’t fully trust him because he is aware of his recurrent internet cheating, the speaker said.
“Having stated that, you naturally cope with the circumstance when it arises in most cases. You can just play and hope that your opponent doesn’t cheat.”
Levon Aronian, an American, claimed he “understands the frustration of Magnus” in an interview with the website Chess24.
“I’m in the centre of everything. In my opinion, Hans hasn’t always played online chess in the most ethical manner. However, he is a young man, and maybe this will teach him a lesson,” explained Aronian.
According to Reuters, Niemann already acknowledged that when he was younger, he did not play honestly in non-competitive games on chess.com. But he has refuted accusations that he cheated while playing live games.
“In any kind of game, I’ve never cheated. I will go completely nude if they demand it. I don’t care. Because I am clean, I know that. I don’t mind if you want me to perform in a sealed space with no electronic transmission,” he recently commented.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, a young grandmaster from India, gained attention earlier this year by surprising Carlsen in an online competition. Carlsen was defeated by Praggnanandhaa, 16, in the Airthings Masters fast chess competition. Praggnanandhaa, who turned 10 in 2016, became the youngest international master in history.