Report: Chess Grandmaster Hans Niemann Likely Cheated Over 100 Times in Career | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

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According to a detailed investigation conducted by Chess.com, chess grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann likely cheated more than 100 times while playing online, including at times when prize money was at stake.

Andrew Beaton and Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal reviewed the 72-page report produced by the investigation that used cheating-detection tools such as studying past performance, determining how often players opened other browsers during a game and analytical breakdowns of moves compared to those suggested by chess engines.

According to the report, Niemann likely cheated as recently as 2020 and even privately confessed to allegations.

Chess.com does not typically investigate potential cheating in classical chess that happens in person, but it called Niemann’s rise through the sport “statistically extraordinary” and pointed to “many remarkable signals and unusual patterns in Hans’ path as a player” that “merit further investigation based on the data.”

FIDE, which is chess’ world governing body, is also investigating Niemann.

The idea that the 19-year-old Niemann may be a routine cheater made headlines in September’s Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis when he defeated world chess champion Magnus Carlsen even though he was playing with black pieces, which is a disadvantage.

Carlsen quit the tournament and then quit a subsequent online match against Niemann after just one move before publicly accusing his opponent of cheating.

“I believe that Niemann has cheated more—and more recently—than he has publicly admitted,” Carlsen said. “His over the board progress has been unusual, and throughout our game in the Sinquefield Cup I had the impression that he wasn’t tense or even fully concentrating on the game in critical positions, while outplaying me as black in a way I think only a handful of players can do.”

Niemann responded to those allegations by saying he only cheated in a prize-money event when he was 12 and then in “random games” when he was 16 and regretted the actions.

Yet Beaton and Robinson noted the report said Chess.com closed Niemann’s account because of cheating allegations. It also revealed he confessed to allegations during a phone call with Danny Rensch, who is Chess.com’s chief chess officer.

Rensch wrote Niemann a letter explaining why he was banned from the Chess.com Global Championship, which is a million-dollar prize event, and said “there always remained serious concerns about how rampant your cheating was in prize events.”