Cheating and Sex Toy Allegations: The Bizarre Scandal Shaking the Chess World | SBS News

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Anal beads. Elon Musk. And cheat at chess.
Put all these words in one sentence and you are guaranteed a scandal.

No wonder the chess world found itself in the eye of the storm.

What exactly happened?

On September 5, Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the US$500,000 ($749,000) Sinquefield Cup tournament in the US state of Missouri after the defeat of American Hans Niemann, 19 years old.

Carlsen was three rounds away from the nine-round tournament.

A day later, the reigning five-time world chess champion tweeted an encrypted video of Portuguese football manager José Mourinho saying: “I really prefer not to talk. If I talk, I’m in big trouble.

Within hours, in a live stream, Japanese-American chess grandmaster and online streamer Hikaru Nakamura said, “Magnus thinks Hans is probably cheating” but is unable to say so openly because he doesn’t. there is no proof.

Carlsen and Nakamura both have reason to speculate.
Niemann has a checkered past.
He admitted to cheating twice in online chess tournaments when he was 12 and 16 years old.

But according to Danny Rensch – chess director of chess.com – there is evidence that Niemann cheated more than twice online.

“We have contacted Hans Neimann to explain our decision to privately remove him from chess.com and our event,” Rensch said in a Sept. 9 statement.

“We have shared detailed evidence with him regarding our decision, including information that contradicts his statements regarding the amount and severity of his cheating on chess.com,” he said.

Did Neimann use anal beads to cheat?

Although no evidence of cheating was found, unsubstantiated rumors suggesting that Neimann wore anal beads which transmitted signals and helped him win the match against Carlsen began to spread.

Elon Musk added fuel to the proverbial fire, who on September 8 tweeted and then deleted the following: “Talent hits a target no one else can hit, genius hits a target no one else can see (because it’s up your ass) – Schopenhauer.”

In one of his now-deleted tweets, Elon Musk suggested that Hans Niemann cheated by using a device hidden in his “butt”. Credit: Pool/Getty Images

Gary Wastell is the President of the Australian Chess Federation.

He said cheating using a sex toy in face-to-face play is difficult, it’s not impossible.
“It’s possible with very sophisticated equipment and a third party transmitting or transmitting signals to the player,” Wastell told SBS News.
“If you have the cooperation of a third party, who may be reachable on the site, accesses a computer, monitors the game as it is played, and is somehow able to transmit a signal to the player during the game , it can be done.”
Even a well-timed signal can change the course of the game, Wastell said.
“Keep in mind that it is not necessary for a cheating player to receive information at every stage of the game.

“One of the former world champions, Viswanathan Anand, said if in a game he had only one moment when he was advised on the right move to play in a critical position, his performance would be greatly improved. “, Mr. Wastell said.

Previous convictions do not prove guilt…Unless you have proof [proving Niemann cheated]he should be given the benefit of the doubt.

Gary Wastell, President of the Australian Chess Federation

But Mr Wastell also said that just because Niemann has admitted cheating in the past doesn’t mean he cheated in the one-on-one match against Carlsen.
“Prior convictions don’t prove guilt…Unless you have proof [proving Niemann cheated]he should be given the benefit of the doubt.

“And no evidence of significance has emerged,” he said.

Niemann is ready to play naked

Niemann strongly denied the allegations.
“If they want me to strip completely I will. I don’t care. Because I know I’m clean,” he said in an interview after the game.
In fact, Niemann went one step further by pushing Carlsen.

“It must be embarrassing for the world champion to lose to me. I feel bad for him,” Niemann said.

What happened next ?

On Monday, Carlsen and Niemann faced off again.
This time in the Julius Baer Generation Cup of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, held online.
But after just one move, Carlsen pulled out, causing further controversy.

Mr Wastell said Niemann could not have cheated in such a short game and that Carlsen’s withdrawal is yet another cryptic message.

Magnus Carlsen sitting in a chair with his arms crossed

Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen could face Hans Niemann in another chess game in the coming days. Credit: Rob Kim

“I think it’s just kind of a gesture of protest that Magnus came up with…an attempt to be somewhat consistent with his action at the end of the previous game when he lost to the same player.”

The incident happened in the preliminary stages of the tournament.
“At the moment it looks like Magnus will make it to the finals, just like his opponent [Niemann]and there is a chance that they will end up in the quarter-finals or the semi-finals, or at a later stage of the tournament,” Mr Wastell said, adding that the next game between the players could take place in both or three next. days.

“So the world will watch,” he said.