After Hans Niemann defeated the World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup 2022, Carlsen decided to withdraw from the event without detailed explanations. Rumors that Magnus Carlsen suspected Niemann was cheating started spreading over social medias and Hikaru Nakamura confirmed in his live stream that Niemann has done “unallowed things” during the online chess tournaments. Possible reasons of Magnus Carlsen’s withdrawal can be found here. Sinquefield Cup improved anti-cheating measures and Carlsen’s results got annulled. Niemann decided to tell his truth after the 5th round and he confessed cheating in random chesscom games, adding that he will not let chesscom, Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura slander his reputation. Nakamura reacted to Niemann’s interview, while chess.com posted the official statement to explain why they removed Hans Niemann from the platform.
Carlsen’s withdrawal from the tournament and Niemann’s interview caused different reactions on social medias. Garry Kasparov called Carlsen’s withdrawal as an act with no precedent in the last 50 years, and commented on chess.com’s decision to ban Niemann from the website. Even Elon Musk commented on accusations towards Hans Niemann. Former Women’s World Chess Champion and one of the greatest female chess players of the time, GM Susan Polgar, gave her opinion on the case: “I’m not a very active online player. I did not discuss with Daniel Rensch (chess.com) about this. Not here to defend either. However, I did talk to Daniel Rensch a few years ago about online cheating. He assured me that they’re very confident in their method and ready for court. This is why we need to hold judgement until more information come out. The professional reputation of many parties is at stake. I hope things will clear up in due time.“
Read more: Reactions to Hans Niemann’s interview / Reactions to Magnus Carlsen’s withdrawal from the Sinquefield Cup 2022
