The cheating scandal that has been consuming the chess world for the past month appears to be coming to an end, and it looks like 19-year-old grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann has found himself in a spot of bother. According to a new Chess.com investigation first viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Niemann may have received prohibited assistance in over 100 online games with some of the cheating happening as recently as two years ago. The investigation found many inconsistencies in the in-person games. According to the report, Niemann admitted to some of the cheating allegations. Hans is suspected of cheating in more than 100 online chess games, including several prize money events. There are examples of blatant cheating in the letter that was sent to him.
Danny Rensch, the Chief Chess Officer of Chess.com, is said to have gotten a confession from Niemann over the phone. The investigation suggests that he may have used an illegal chess engine to inform him of his best moves when he opened up new screens on his computer.
According to the Journal, the report states that Hans' results are "statistically extraordinary."
The cheating allegations from world chess champion Magnus Carlsen led to the revelations. Carlsen shocked the chess world when he withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup after losing to his opponent. After facing off against Nielmann again at the Julius Baer Generation Cup, Carlsen shut off his stream after just two moves. Carlsen made an official statement last week where he described cheating as a threat to chess.
Carlsen believes that Niemann has cheated more recently than he has acknowledged. 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 focused on the game.
The Chess.com investigation seems to support Carlsen's allegations. He admitted to cheating when he was 12 and 16 years old. The new report suggests that Niemann didn't learn from his mistake.
Chess.com uses a lot of data to determine if players are using chess engines or other illegal applications. The company compares players' moves with those recommended by chess engines, as well as monitoring players' performance. It is more difficult to confirm cheating in physical games. Chess.com wouldn't say if Niemann cheated in person but said some of his strongest performances would merit further investigation.
The findings are likely to shock the chess world. As far as we know, the investigation didn't weigh in on the theory that he received instructions through vibrating anal beads.
The full report can be found below.
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