Damning report on American chess Grandmaster Hans Neimann’s cheating scandal simplified

Who knew there could be so much drama for spectators of a board game? 

Even if you don't follow professional chess, you must have heard of Magnus Carlsen, the World No 1 in the game. And it was big news when Carlsen accused a fellow player Grandmaster Hans Neimann of cheating. Now, a report claims Neimann likely cheated more than he admits in online games ('online' is the keyword here). 

For those who are not followers of professional chess, we have simplified the controversy for you. Just follow along:

The story in a nutshell: World No 1 Magnus Carlsen lost a recent over-the-board (physical game) game to American Grandmaster Hans Neimann in the third round of St Louis Chess Club's Sinquefield Cup in the US. It was a rare defeat for him.

• Then, in an online game against Neimann, Carlsen played one move and logged out in protest. 
• Carlsen finally broke the silence after several veiled attacks at his opponent. The World No 1 claimed that he refuses to play against Neimann in the future because he believes the American Grandmaster has cheated in the games. 

My statement regarding the last few weeks. pic.twitter.com/KY34DbcjLo

— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) September 26, 2022

And so, that's how s*it hit the fan. 

You see, for the world's best chess player to accuse a fellow player of cheating without giving concrete evidence, is putting his reputation on the line. It is also a matter of fact, that Carlsen, who knows chess much better than most people, is accusing a player of cheating that has not yet been caught by FIDE, the chess's world governing body and other tournaments with all its strict security.  

What's the latest? While Carlsen's accusations were bombshell enough, this week, another bombshell dropped against Hans Neimann. 

• A Chess.com report running 72-pages long claimed that Hans Neimann has likely cheated in over 100 online games; much more than what he's admitted to. 

Today we released our official report on Hans Niemann, Magnus Carlsen, and cheating in chess. Read it here: https://t.co/HeDTReeAPe

— Chess.com (@chesscom) October 4, 2022

Now, there are two things that need an explanation for the above sentence. 

• Much more than he's admitted to? So, Hans Neimann has confessed to cheating? The answer is - YES. 
• Neimann confessed to cheating in TWO online games when he was 12 and 16 years old. And he has apologised for the same and vowed to never repeat those mistakes. 
• "Online games": It needs to be noted that the report exclusively talks about online games, and not over-the-board games, ie physical games. 
• Carlsen and Hans Neimann's St Louis game was an over-the-board game. 

What did the report say? The investigation claimed that Neimann cheated in games that included prize money and against "well-known" figures in the game. 

• It claimed that the 19-year-old received illegal help in more than 100 online games. 
• But the report said it did not find any evidence of cheating during over-the-board games. 
• Chess.com and Neimann: It needs to be noted that Neimann was banned from Chess.com in 2020 over cheating allegations. 
• Then, again this year he was banned from a million-dollar prize event in which Chess.com's chief chess officer Danny Rensch made the reasons public stating that "there always remained serious concerns about how rampant your cheating was in prize events."
• Chess.com is also in the process of buying Carlsen's Play Magnus app.
• The report also claimed that Neimann's rise or rate of improvement has been fasted ever recorded in modern history. It claimed that Neimann went from rankings in 800 to top 50 in less than two years, noting that his rise is "statistically extraordinary".

What does Hans Neimann have to say? Neimann has denied all allegations of cheating. After a recent win, he said that his performance is a "message to everyone" and that "chess speaks for itself".

"It also showed I'm not going to back down… That's all I can say, because it was such a beautiful game I don't even need to describe it. I don't care, because I know I am clean. You want me to play in a closed box with zero electronic transmission, I don't care."

"It was such a beautiful game I don't need to describe it."

-@HansMokeNiemann's brief post-game interview after his victory vs. GM Yoo#USChessChamps pic.twitter.com/S1FFUdAO2t

— Saint Louis Chess Club (@STLChessClub) October 5, 2022

Catching players cheat in an over-the-board game is difficult. Very few have been caught so far, that too when they displayed obvious signs, like using a phone in toilet. Nonetheless, FIDE is conducting its own investigation into the matter.