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Chess's 'anal beads' cheating scandal rumbles on as Magnus Carlsen withdraws from Sinquefield Cup

Magnus Carlsen explained why he decided to withdraw from the Sinquefield Cup earlier this month and resign from their Julius Baer Generation Cup match

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI: Magnus Carlsen has accused 19-year-old chess grandmaster Hans Niemann of cheating in a lengthy statement. Carlsen, No. 1 ranked chess player in the world, explained why he decided to withdraw from the Sinquefield Cup earlier this month and resign from their Julius Baer Generation Cup match.

Rumors that previously surfaced claimed Neimann used anal beads and artificial intelligence to beat Carlsen, 31. A newcomer to the sport, San Francisco-born Hans Niemann allegedly inserted wireless vibrating anal beads into his body before a match he won against grandmaster Carlsen. Chess fans believe that an accomplice watching the match determined the right move and sent encoded instructions via the vibrating sex toy. The game took place at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis. Neimann has maintained that he did not cheat. However, critics noted his Elo rating increased to 2701 after his win over Carlsen, up from 2484 in January 2021.

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On a previous occasion, Nieman had admitted that he cheated during an online game when he was just 12. At the time, a friend brought an iPad loaded with a 'chess engine' program that helped him win. Niemann's opponent could not see him, so he was unaware of everything that was happening. In the recent case, Neimann's increase is unbelievable, leading many in the sport to speculate that he cheated. However, he maintained that he did not cheat in the recent games.

Carlsen has said in a statement on Twitter, "I know that my actions have frustrated many in the chess community. I’m frustrated. I want to play chess. I want to continue to play chess at the high level in the best events." He added, "I believe that cheating in chess is a big deal and an existential threat to the game. I also believe that chess organizers and all those who care about the sanctity of the game we love should seriously consider security measures and methods of cheat detection for over the board chess. When Niemann was invited last minute to the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, I strongly considered withdrawing prior to the event. I ultimately chose to play."

"I believe that Niemann has cheated more — and more recently — than he publicly admitted. His over the board progress has been unusual, and throughout our game in the Sinquefield Cup I had the impression that he wasn’t tense or even fully concentrating on the game in critical positions, while outplaying me as black in a way I think only a handful of players can do. This game contributed to changing my perspective," Carlsen continued. "We must do something about cheating, and for my part going forward, I do not want to play against people that have cheated repeatedly in the past, because I don’t know what they are capable of doing in the future."

He concluded, "There is more that I would like to say. Unfortunately, at this time I am limited in what I can say without explicit permission from Niemann to speak openly. So far I have only been able to speak with my actions, and those actions have started clearly that I am not willing to play chess with Niemann. I hope that the truth on this matter comes out, whatever it may be."

Meanwhile, FIDE, the International Chess Federation, said Carlsen should not have resigned considering his status. At the same time, it acknowledged the need to fight cheating. "First of all, we strongly believe that the World Champion has a moral responsibility attached to his status, since he is viewed as a global ambassador of the game. His actions impact the reputation of his colleagues, sportive results, and eventually can be damaging to our game. We strongly believe that there were better ways to handle this situation," FIDE said in a statement, Fox News reported. 

"At the same time, we share his deep concerns about the damage that cheating brings to chess. FIDE has led the fight against cheating for many years, and we reiterate our zero-tolerance policy toward cheating in any form. Whether it is online or ‘over the board’, cheating remains cheating. We are strongly committed to this fight, and we have invested in forming a group of specialists to devise sophisticated preventive measures that already apply at top FIDE events," it added. 

'Either prove he's cheating, or apologize'

The Internet has slammed Carlsen for his move, many claiming he decided to resign because he could not handle being beaten. "If you have evidence that he cheated, you should present that evidence. You are destroying this kid's career based on nothing other than shady insinuations that you won't back up. The only evidence you offer is flimsy conjecture. Either prove he's cheating, or apologize," one user wrote on Twitter. "Sooo, basically you have nothing but speculation because you lost, and now you're crying. If you had a thing against "cheaters" you would have resigned and not played the game against Niemann. I'd say winning the generations cup in such a dominating fashion is sussy. Cheater?" another user wrote. One user said, "What I see is an emotional reaction to getting beat by a former cheater and someone you view as beneath you, in part because of that moral lapse. He beat you! So you overreact, and there's no path back for you that saves your pride. Double down, etc."

"My guy, if someone is better than you just admit it. Don’t need to slander them with no proof other than your continued loses. Just get better at the game or admit your time is done!" one user said, while another wrote, "It's actually pretty easy. If someone beat you, withdraw from the tournament and act mysterious for a couple of weeks. Your opponent will end up being banned and you won't have to be beaten by them again in the future." One commented, "I love Magnus, truly I do, but I won’t take your side because you have a suspicion. Put up evidence or shut up".

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