Hans Niemann fires back at Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru over chess cheating allegations Dexerto

Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann responded to claims that he cheated after his win against Magnus Carlsen in the Sinquefield Cup, criticizing the “targeted attack”. of his classmates.

As the reigning five-time world chess champion, fans believed that Magnus Carlsen would have no trouble pulling off a win against the lower-ranked Hans Niemann in the Sinquefield Cup on September 4. However, with a skillful Nimzo-Indian Defence, it was Niemann who won the game.

However, rumors of foul play began to surface when Carlsen later withdrew from the tournament. While he didn’t specifically say why, many speculated it was because Niemann cheated, with popular gamer Hikaru Nakamura referring to his past suspensions for doing the exact same thing.

Now, Niemann has given his opinion. The 19-year-old responded to the “absolutely ridiculous” accusations by calling it a “targeted attack” from critics on social media.

Hans Niemann denies cheating during Magnus Carlsen’s game

speaking to STLChessClub Twitch Channel on September 6, Niemann denied any accusations of cheating. However, he admitted to breaking Chess.com rules in the past because he was “willing to do anything to grow” his Twitch channel.

He said: “I cheated in random games on Chess.com. I faced I confessed. And this is the biggest mistake of my life. And I’m completely embarrassed.”

Denying that he had ever “cheated in a game on the board”, he criticized Carlsen and Hikaru for trying to “slander” his Chess career by accusing him of cheating during the Sinquefield Cup allegedly without evidence.

Niemann stated that the allegations were a “targeted attack” by Carlsen and the chess community on social media. He further added that he had “never cheated” against Hikaru, who previously claimed that Chess.com banned Niemann from participating in paid tournaments.

Some of Niemann’s fans came to his defense when theories began to circulate on social media, and he expressed gratitude for their support.

Niemann says he has been suspended from his chess.com account after the controversy. Although, his place in the Sinquefield Cup is still secure, at the time of writing.