
Teenage chess grandmaster Hans Niemann “possible cheated” in far more than 100 online matches, like ones with prize cash concerned, according to an investigation by one of the sport’s most well known websites.

The 72-website page report by Chess.com was unveiled on Tuesday, a thirty day period immediately after controversy erupted at a major match when the earth chess winner accused the 19-yr-previous American of cheating.

In accordance to the report, 1st referenced by the Wall Street Journal, Niemann privately confessed to cheating to the website’s chief chess officer in 2020, which led to him staying temporarily banned from the platform.

The report mentioned Chess.com shut Niemann’s account in September offered his former acknowledgments of cheating, suspicions about his latest enjoy and concerns about the steep, inconsistent rise in his rank.

“While we will not question that Hans is a proficient player, we note that his outcomes are statistically amazing,” the report said.

Niemann has earlier admitted publicly to dishonest in on the internet matches at the ages of 12 and 16 but the investigation alleged he experienced cheated more not too long ago.

Niemann has not responded to CNN’s ask for for comment.

Chess.com has millions of users and hosts a lot more than 10 million chess game titles a working day, according to its house owners. To detect suspected dishonest, the web page works by using software that flags suspicious moves by comparing a player’s moves to those advised by a chess engine. Much less than .14% of players at any time cheat on the web page, in accordance to the report.

Carlsen allegations

The controversy began very last month, when world chess champion Magnus Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating at the $350,000 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri.

“I think that Niemann has cheated extra — and a lot more not long ago — than he has publicly admitted,” the 31-year-previous Norwegian mentioned in a statement posted to Twitter.

“His in excess of the board development has been uncommon, and all through our activity in the Sinquefield Cup I experienced the impression that he wasn’t tense or even thoroughly concentrating on the activity in essential positions, whilst outplaying me as black in a way I consider only a handful of players can do. This video game contributed to transforming my perspective.”

Carlsen pulled out of the match following shedding to Niemann. Chess’ worldwide governing human body, FIDE, introduced final week that it is investigating Carlsen’s allegations.

More than the board chess is performed encounter to facial area, relatively than on-line. Carlsen did not provide facts about how Niemann may possibly have cheated.

In an job interview with the St. Louis Chess Club previous month, Niemann said he experienced hardly ever cheated in above the board games.

“I cheated on random games on Chess.com. I was confronted. I confessed. And this is the one most important mistake of my everyday living,” he claimed. ” And I am totally ashamed. I am telling the globe because I will not want misrepresentations and I never want rumours. I have under no circumstances cheated in an over the board video game. And other than when I was 12 decades previous I have in no way cheated in a match with prize funds.”

In accordance to the Chess.com report, dishonest in an around the board placing could include “various strategies this kind of as: hand signals from a nearby coach or accessing a phone in the lavatory, a concealed unit in a shoe, or a wire or buzzer taped to the body.”

The report stated Chess.com had not typically investigated dishonest in over the board video games, but it believed Niemann’s performances in some reside games “benefit even more investigation based on the details.”

“In our look at, there is no direct proof that proves Hans cheated at the September 4, 2022 game with Magnus, or proves that he has cheated in other OTB games in the past,” the report said.
