US chess grandmaster, 19, 'likely cheated' more than 100 TIMES online (2024)

American chess grandmaster Hans Mok Niemann cheated over 100 times in his online professional career, a new report has claimed.

An extensive investigation into Neimann's play by Chess.com found he broke the rules in tournaments as recently as 2020, noting'many remarkable signals and unusual patterns in Hans' path as a player', according to a 72-page report.

The document alleged Niemann likely received assistance in more than 100 online games using illegal computer aids.

It showed that the prodigyprivately confessed to Chess.com he had cheated on numerous occasions, while it also revealed that he was banned from the site - though this was never made public.

The report states thatNiemann confessed his cheating to Chess.com COO Danny Rensch during a Zoom call, and afterwards in writing during a Slack chat.

Many of the tournaments Chess.com said Niemann cheated in included cash prizes, the report said, includingChess.com prize events,Speed Chess Championship Qualifiers, and the PRO Chess League.

It is unclear how much prize money Neimann has won in his short career.

The damning claims come after Niemann made headlines in September when current world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, 31, suggested he was a cheater.

Officials from the online chess platform Chess.com released a report which found American prodigy Hans Mok Niemann has cheated over 100 times in his professional career

This Slack chat from Aug 12, 2020, shows Hans Niemann and Chess.comm COO Danny Rensch arranging a Zoom chat to discuss accusations of cheating

This screen shot appears to show Niemann acknowledging the accusations and his intention to write an email promising he will never do it again

What games do Chess.com claimNiemann cheated in?

Titled Tuesday Qualifier | July 7 2015

'Of particular note in this event is that you played against and lost to someone we eventually closed for cheating in that very same event, and that your game reflected clear 'engine vs engine' play.'

Titled Tuesday Qualifier | April 4 2017

PRO Chess League | 2020 Season

Numerous games and performances

Speed Chess Grand Prix | June 2 2020

Speed Chess Grand Prix | June 16 2020

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Niemann beat Carlsen on September 4 in the prestigious Sinquefield Cup, the infamous tournament in which the 19-year-old was accused of using vibrating anal beads to communicate with his coach.

Niemann virulently denied Carlsen's accusations, saying that he cheated only twice in his life - at the age of 12 and 16 - and that both infractions were some of the greatest regrets of his life.

'Other than when I was 12 years old, I have never, ever, ever – and I would never do that, that is the worst thing that I could ever do – cheat in a tournament with prize money,'Niemann said afterwards.

'Never when I was streaming did I cheat.'

'Keep in mind I was 16 years old, I never wanted to hurt anyone, these were random games. I would never – could even fathom doing it – in a real game.'

The report seemed to cast aspersions on Niemann's denials, calling the September 4 game 'suspicious' and adding 'thatHans' explanation of his win post-event added to our suspicion.'

'As to his OTB play more generally, ... we believe [there] are apparent anomalies in Hans' rise in OTB rating.

'Of note, we discuss how Hans became the fastest rising top player in Classical OTB chess in modern recorded history much later in life than his peers and did it after we had removed him from playing on our site in 2020.'

That said, it admitted thatthere was 'no direct evidence that proves Hans cheated at the September 4, 2022 game with Magnus, or proves that he has cheated in other OTB [over the board] games in the past.'

Chess.com explained that they applied statistical analysis toNiemann's games, comparing his moves to those a chess engine would make in the same position. A high correlation between the two strongly points towards cheating.

'Some, often newer, players use a chess engine like Stockfish to decide every move they make.This formof cheating is obvious and easy to detect,' the report states.

'Other players, especially those that play at Hans' level, aremuch more sophisticated, and engage in 'selective cheating,' using a chess engine to give advice only in key moments, and often intentionally making sub-par moves to mask their engine use.'

The damning report comes after Niemann made headlines in September when chess champion Magnus Carlsen (above) suggested Niemann was a cheater, which culminated in rumors the 19-year-old was using vibrating anal beads to communicate with his coach.

Professional chess player Hans Niemann in a photo from his Instagram page

The Chess.com report focused only on Niemann's online play, and did not comment on the integrity of his over-the-board (OTB) in-person play.

'Outside his online play, Hans is the fastest rising top player in Classical [over-the-board] chess in modern history,' the report read.

'Looking purely at rating, Hans should be classified as a member of this group of top young players. While we don't doubt that Hans is a talented player, we note that his results are statistically extraordinary.'

Niemann has not yet commented on the report's findings.

In a letter explaining Niemann's expulsion from the site in 2020, Chess.com chief chess officer Danny Rensch described 'blatant cheating' against some of the world's top players.

'There always remained serious concerns about how rampant your cheating was in prize events,' Rencsh said in the letter.

While he remained mum on anal beads, Rensch suggested Niemann consulted a computer to advise him on moves during a livestreamed match on the website.

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Chess.com is able to use its statistical data about players' historical performances to determine whether they are playing in a way that is characteristic of themselves, and can compare moves against those which a chess computer would like make to sniff out cheaters

Hans Neimann's rise in the rankings from the age of 11 to his current age of 19 was truly meteoric, outshining that of chess legend Bobby Fischer - and arousing suspicion too

'We are prepared to present strong statistical evidence that confirm each of those cases above, as well as clear ''toggling'' vs ''non-toggling'' evidence, where you perform much better while toggling to a different screen during your moves,' Rensch wrote, describing how during the livestream Niemann appeared to look at a separate screen at the same moments he made suspicious moves.

Chess.com is able to use its statistical data about players' historical performances to determine whether they are playing in a way that is characteristic of themselves, and can compare moves against those which a chess computer would like make to sniff out cheaters.

The report notes that Chess.com's anti-cheating measures have caught dozens of the game's top players in the act of cheating.

Niemann virulently denied the accusations, saying that he cheated only twice in his life - at the age of 12 and 16 - and that both infractions were some of the greatest regrets of his life

On September 19, Carlsen resigned after just one move during a match against Niemann, saying he was trying to preserve the game of chess

How it is possible to cheat during online chess using a 'second screen'

When playing chess online, the players are usually alone, meaning it is hard to enforce anti-cheating rules.

Anti-cheat software can include 'screen capture', which allows tournament organizers to see what the players see on their screen.

Chess.com said they had evidence of as clear 'toggling' vs 'non-toggling', where Niemann performed much better while toggling to a different screen during his moves.

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The report notes that Chess.com's anti-cheating measures have caught dozens of the game's top players in the act of cheating.

During a September 19 match against Niemann, Carlsen - currently the world no. 1 - resigned after a single move, saying he refused to play against the alleged cheater to preserve the game of chess.

'I know that my actions have frustrated many in the chess community,' Carlsen wrote in a statement. 'I'm frustrated. I want to play chess. I want to continue to play chess at the highest level in the best events.'

'I believe that cheating in chess is a big deal and an existential threat to the game.'

He later added: 'So far I have only been able to speak with my actions, and those actions have stated clearly that I am not willing to play chess with Niemann. I hope that the truth on this matter comes out, whatever it may be.'

As the anal beads rumor continued to swirl, Niemann offered to play in the nude to prove his innocence.

'I have never cheated in an over-the-board game. If they want me to strip fully naked, I will do it,' he said.

How technology has driven an explosion of cheating scandals at the highest level of chess

Aside from bribing opponents or officials, or falsifying tournament results, most cheating scandals in chess involve covertly receiving suggestions on potential moves.

With the explosion of chess computer programs and devices like cell phones and Bluetooth, tournament officials have had to navigate a minefield of challenges in detecting cheaters in recent years.

At the top levels of competition, players are now routinely scanned with metal detectors before playing in tournaments. But as the defenses against cheating evolve, so do the devious schemes of unethical players. Here are some of the five biggest cheating scandals in recent memory:

2010 FIDE Olympiad Tournament

In the tournament at Russia's Khanty-Mansiysk, French playersCyril Marzolo, Arnaud Hauchard and Sébastien Feller were busted colluding in an elaborate cheating scheme.

Sébastien Feller (above) was one of three French players caught colluding in an elaborate cheating scheme in 2010

Team coachArnaud Hauchard (left) signaled moves after receiving text messages fromCyril Marzolo (right), who was following the tournament from home

While Feller played at the board, Marzolo watched the tournament from home and tracked the game using a chess program.

Selecting ideal moves from the chess engine, Marzolo then texted the moves to Hauchard, the team coach, who would then stand or sit in a certain position to signal the move to Feller.

All three players involved were either a Grandmaster or International Master, and they were all handed lengthy suspensions from the FIDE Ethics Committee.

2014 Iasi Open

At the tournament in Romania, 2239-rated player Wesley Vermeulen was caught cheating by consulting a mobile phone in the toilet.

According to the tournament minutes, Vermeulen cooperated with officials and admitted his guilt when confronted.

He was eventually banned for one year by both the Dutch chess federation and FIDE

2015Dubai Open Chess Tournament

Georgian grandmaster Gaioz Nigalidze was caught cheating in 2015

Georgian grandmaster Gaioz Nigalidze was banned from the tournament after officials discovered him checking a smartphone with chess software in the bathroom in the middle of a game.

Nigalidze's opponent grew suspicious when the grandmaster repeatedly bolted for the bathroom after each move during a crucial part of the game, tournament officials said.

At first,Nigalidze tried to deny the phone was his. But it was logged into a social media account in his name, and had a program running analyzing the moves in his match, officials said.

2015 International Chess Festival

In 2015 Italian player Archangel Ricciardi, a beekeper, was caught cheating after reaching the penultimate round of the International Chess Festival in Italy.

He had risen from a ranking of 51,336 in the world to beat a French Grandmaster along the way.

But referee Jean Coquerat became suspicious after the then 37-year-old had a string of successes.

The referee, from Turin, noticed he always stayed sitting - despite the fact the matches could go on for hours.

And then there was the way he blinked, in an odd, unnatural way.

He also began to suspect that his constant drinking of water, and mopping his brow, might be a signal to whoever was helping Ricciardi to hurry up.

But when Coquerat confronted the player, he refused to reveal what he had hidden under his shirt.

But Ricciardi was caught when he set off a metal detector.Organisers then found a tiny neck pendant - which Ricciardi swore was a good luck charm.

But it contained a camera which was transmitting signals to a four-inch box under his armpit that had a mass of wires.

2016 Moscow Open

In February 2016, Sergey Aslanov was expelled from the Russian tournament for a consulting a smartphone in the toilet.

The phone was found hidden under a loose tile behind a drainpipe the bathroom.

Aslanov admitted to making an error in leaving he phone in the bathroom, but insisted that he was not guilty of cheating.

Hewas suspended for one year.

2019Strasbourg Open

In July 2019, Latvian-Czech grandmaster Igors Rausis was caught cheating, in another example of using a mobile phone in the bathroom.

Rausis had long been under suspicion after his rating skyrocketed to nearly 2700 in a precipitous rise.

He admitted to having cheated, and announced his retirement from chess.

'I simply lost my mind yesterday,' he explained to Chess.com. 'At least what I committed yesterday is a good lesson, not for me—I played my last game of chess already.'

The claims come after a series of cheating scandals. In 2019, Latvian-Czech grandmaster Igors Rausis was caught consulting a smartphone in a toilet to try to get an advantage

US chess grandmaster, 19, 'likely cheated' more than 100 TIMES online (2024)

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