Hans Niemann, a teenage chess grandmaster, mentioned he's "not going to again down," as he faces allegations of dishonest.
Talking after successful a sport in opposition to 15-year-old grandmaster Christopher Yoo on Wednesday, Niemann was requested about "the elephant within the room," and mentioned his victory within the sport was "a message to everybody."
"This whole factor began with me saying 'chess speaks for itself' and I feel this sport spoke for itself and confirmed the chess participant that I'm," he mentioned. "It additionally confirmed that I am not going to again down and I'll play my greatest chess right here whatever the strain that I am underneath."
This week, a report by Chess.com mentioned the 19-year-old American "doubtless cheated" in additional than 100 on-line chess video games — "far more than his public statements counsel." An investigation by the favored aggressive chess web site discovered he has cheated "in lots of prize occasions, at the least 25 streamed video games, and 100+ rated video games on Chess.com, as lately as when he was 17 years outdated."
The report got here after controversy surrounded the younger participant final month. Norwegian world chess champion Magnus Carlsen mentioned he pulled out of a latest event after shedding to Niemann and likewise stop throughout a match in opposition to him — after only one transfer — as a result of he believed Niemann had been dishonest.
"I imagine that Niemann has cheated extra — and extra lately -— than he has publicly admitted," Carlsen wrote on Twitter final month.
However whereas the Chess.com report mentioned Niemann "doubtless cheated on-line far more than his public statements counsel … there's a lack of concrete statistical proof that he cheated in his sport with Magnus or in another over-the-board ("OTB")—i.e., in-person—video games."
Niemann beforehand mentioned he had not performed pretty in video games on Chess.com when he was youthful however has denied dishonest whereas taking part in streaming video games or video games in particular person.
Niemann didn't instantly reply to CBS Information' request for remark.
Chess.com's investigation explored Niemann'sbehavior in on-line tournaments from 2015 to 2020, analyzing his sport statistics over that point.
"Whereas his efficiency in a few of these matches could appear to be throughout the realm of some statistical chance, the likelihood of any single participant performing this effectively throughout this many video games is extremely low," Chess.com wrote in its report.
The report additionally revealed particulars about Niemann's first removing from Chess.com in 2020. When Niemann was knowledgeable of his suspension from the positioning that yr, he admitted to dishonest, in response to the report. He was finally granted the chance to return to the positioning to compete, however his account was closed once more final month after Carlsen misplaced in opposition to Niemann within the Sinquefield Cup and withdrew from the event.
Whereas the positioning mentioned there's "no direct proof" proving Niemann cheated within the Sept. 4 sport with Magnus or in another over-the-board video games up to now, some elements of the sport have been "suspicious" – only one issue that led to the positioning eradicating Niemann once more and revoking his invitation to the Chess.com World Championship.
"We uninvited Hans from our upcoming main on-line occasion and revoked his entry to our web site primarily based on our expertise with him up to now, rising suspicions amongst high gamers and our workforce about his fast rise of play, the unusual circumstances and explanations of his win over Magnus, in addition to Magnus' unprecedented withdrawal," Chess.com mentioned.
The web site privately knowledgeable Niemann of his revoked standing, which he publicly shared himself.
"We imagine Hans is an extremely robust participant and a proficient particular person. That mentioned, given his historical past on our web site, we didn't imagine we may be sure that he would play pretty in our on-line occasions till we may re-evaluate the proof and our protocols," it mentioned.
"Nonetheless, and to be clear, it isn't our place that Hans must be restricted or banned from OTB chess. Hans' on-line and OTB behaviors could also be fully completely different, and that must be considered."
The positioning mentioned it believes dishonest in chess is uncommon.
"We estimate that fewer than 0.14% of gamers on Chess.com ever cheat, and that our occasions are by and huge free from dishonest," the report acknowledged. "We firmly imagine that dishonest in chess is uncommon, preventable, and far much less pervasive than is presently being portrayed within the media."