A chess player at the center of the cheating controversy cheated in more than 100 online games, an investigation found.
Hans Niemann has been accused by world champion Magnus Carlsen of cheating, although no evidence has been presented.
An investigation by Chess.com now suggests that Niemann may have cheated “much more often” than he admits.
However, no evidence of cheating in the game with Carlson or “on the board” has been found.
When Americans were young, they admitted cheating in casual games, but denied cheating in competitive games.
The 19-year-old, who has been contacted by the BBC for comment, has previously accused Carlsen and Chess.com of trying to ruin his career.
Injustice feud sweeping the chess world
World’s top chess player accuses rival of cheating
The scandal began last month when Carlsen, widely regarded as the greatest shogi player of all time, lost to Neiman at the Sinkfield Cup.
The Norwegian, who had veiled his wrongdoings against Niemann at the time, publicly accused him last week.
Chess.com now produces a 72-page study of Neiman’s games on the site where most of the world’s top players compete for prize money.
The site, which banned Neiman for alleged cheating, said it’s likely that Neiman cheated on prize-winning events and in-game “famous” characters after 2020.
His analysis compared Niemann’s moves to moves suggested by the chess computer that were much stronger than the top players, and the probabilities of his outcomes.
“Overall, Hans was found to have possibly cheated in over 100 online chess games, including several prize-winning events,” it was reported.
“He’s already 17 and has probably cheated in some of these games and matches, 25 of which he also streamed.”
The report said Niemann only cheated on casual games on the site when he was 12 and 16, but never cheated on competitive games or streaming on gaming platforms such as Twitch. This is inconsistent with what has been said so far.
But while his performance is “statistically insane,” Chess.com said there was “no direct evidence” that Neiman cheated in his victory over Carlsen or any other past over-the-board game. Says.
Last week, Carlsen suggested Niemann cheated in a Sinkfield Cup match in Missouri, USA, beating him with black pieces “in a way only a few players can”. “I wasn’t nervous or focused,” he said.
He also became suspicious of Niemann because of its “abnormal” progress in recent years. Others say that Niemann’s growth, though rapid, is on par with other top junior players.
Chess.com said “certain aspects”, such as Niemann’s post-game commentary, were “suspicious.”
The site also notes the “abnormal” rate of improvement that Niemann has made in the world’s top 50 classic chess rankings from about 800 in less than two years.
Chess.com said the rise was the fastest in “recorded modern history” and occurred “much slower than its peers.”
The site also denies having been pressured to remove Niemann from Carlsen, who has dominated chess for more than a decade.
Carlsen has insisted he will not face Niemann, and earlier this month when he faced him again in an online tournament, he simply resigned in protest.
When the controversy erupted earlier this month, Niemann vehemently denied that he was willing to play naked to prove he didn’t hide electronic devices that could be used to cheat.
I know he’s “clean” so I don’t care. If you’re asking me to play in a closed box with zero electronic transmission, it’s not. I’m here to win and that’s my goal no matter what. ”
Leave a Reply