Chess Pro Accused Of Cheating Defiant After Competing In Tourney With Extra Security

Screenshot: VNCR Clips

Two days after Chess.com launched a 72-page report detailing Grandmaster Hans Niemann’s repeated historical past of on-line dishonest on its web site, the beleaguered professional is now, a lot to everybody’s shock, competing in 2022’s U.S. Chess Championship. And whereas the web has cracked loads of jokes about how, precisely, Niemann is likely to be dishonest in over-the-board play, it appears that evidently a few of the suspicions about his conduct had been partially validated by the amped-up safety measures on the St. Louis Chess Club that’s internet hosting the occasion. I’m sorry to say we’re nonetheless going to be speaking about anal beads.

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To get in in any respect, contestants discovered themselves subjected to a safety test that’s not like something the competitors has seen earlier than. During the livestream, viewers may see a guard taking time to scan folks up and down with a tool, generally briefly pausing at particular physique components. Presumably, it’s all in favor of looking for hidden dishonest gadgets, particularly after Niemann’s extraordinarily public fallout with reigning five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen.

While there’s not been any precise, concrete proof Niemann has cheated throughout play in a real-world setting, Carlsen and a few of the chess neighborhood have accused Niemann of humorous enterprise. The suspicions are hinged on Niemann’s earlier historical past of on-line dishonest, which per the report had been incidents as latest as 2020, but in addition because of the unusual method during which Niemann behaves. Unlike most high gamers, Niemann doesn’t appear almost as bothered throughout high-stakes competitions. And the chess neighborhood hasn’t been pleased with Niemann’s weird commentary on the methods which have made him one of many fastest-rising Grandmasters on the planet. Things received unhealthy sufficient that Magnus rage-quit after only one transfer in a event, all in protest in opposition to Niemann’s continued competitors.

Hans is checked totally at U.S. Championship 2022 throughout dishonest controversy

The St. Louis locale’s director spoke to the added safety measures throughout the competitors’s livestream, the place the commentator interviewing him acknowledged that Niemann deserved to be there.

“Obviously we want to ensure that our events are held with the highest integrity possible,” he mentioned. “And we want to ensure fair play across all the tournaments. I want the players to feel, knowing that when they come to play in St. Louis, that we take it very seriously,” the director added.

Read More: Leading Chess Site Asked Top 100 Player Unmasked As Cheater To Confess (And They Did)

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He famous that the championship has all the time employed metallic detectors, however now they’ve added radio frequency scanners that are supposed to seize any potential digital signaling emanating from gamers. They now additionally test for silicon gadgets, which they declare scanners can choose up even when the gadget isn’t turned on. In addition to “physical scanning,” the director additionally mentioned the competitors has a dishonest knowledgeable on deck watching occasions unfold, Ken Regan. And simply to be further secure, the event additionally instituted a 30-minute delay on the livestream, too.

When Niemann received scanned, safety appeared barely extra intense than it did for the opposite gamers. Everyone received scanned from head to toe, however safety appeared to linger for a couple of further moments on components of Niemann’s physique, at one level turning him round. To me, it appeared as in the event that they checked Niemann’s butt slightly extra intently than they did different opponents. I’m certain they weren’t checking for anal beads, the theorized methodology the web jokes Niemann have to be utilizing to cheat. At least, I’m certain they weren’t checking for simply that, or particularly that. We have contacted the St. Louis Chess Club, together with Niemann, in regards to the extra safety measures.

St. Louis Director Speaks about *ANTI-CHEATING* measures in The U.S Championship!!🏆

According to an area newspaper, viewers had been allowed within the room initially of the proceedings, however had been shortly escorted out. The director notes that even media needed to go away electronics outdoors, and so they had been all accompanied by chess membership workers.

Niemann, it ought to be famous, received the primary spherical in opposition to Grandmaster Christopher Yoo. Here’s Chess.com with the breakdown of how issues went down:

The increasingly-popular Jobava London [system of chess play] was the weapon of alternative for Yoo although issues shortly circled because the younger GM was repelled by means of the middle.

Despite the wholesome benefit, Niemann discovered himself with seconds left on the clock and wanted to make a number of exact strikes to make it to the time management at transfer 40. On transfer 36, Yoo helped his opponent with the blunderous 36.e6??

Perhaps probably the most entertaining second got here after the showdown, when Niemann received interviewed about his match. He was defiant of any line of questioning.

Today Hans Niemann SENDS A MESSAGE TO EVERYONE WHO doubted him

“I think that this game is a message to everyone,” he mentioned. “You know, this entire thing started with me saying ‘chess speaks for itself’ and I think this game spoke for itself and showed the chess player that I am and also showed that I am not going to back down and I’m going to play my best chess here regardless of the presure that I’m under. That’s all I want to say about this game. You know, chess speaks for itself, that’s all I can say. You can leave it to your own interpretation, but thank you.”

Stunned, the commentator requested if Niemann was certain about this.

“That’s all I’d like to say, yes. If it was such a beautiful game, I don’t need to describe it,” he answered.