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| Hans Niemann: Chess player accused of cheating 'not backing down' | Hans Niemann: Chess player accused of cheating 'not backing down' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| World champion Magnus Carlsen (left) rocked the chess world by accusing Hans Niemann (right) of cheating | World champion Magnus Carlsen (left) rocked the chess world by accusing Hans Niemann (right) of cheating |
| A top chess player accused of cheating has insisted he is "not going to back down" after making his first comments on the scandal in nearly a month. | A top chess player accused of cheating has insisted he is "not going to back down" after making his first comments on the scandal in nearly a month. |
| On Tuesday, a Chess.com investigation claimed it was "likely" Hans Niemann cheated in more than 100 games online. | On Tuesday, a Chess.com investigation claimed it was "likely" Hans Niemann cheated in more than 100 games online. |
| The 19-year-old American rising star had already been accused of cheating by world champion Magnus Carlsen. | The 19-year-old American rising star had already been accused of cheating by world champion Magnus Carlsen. |
| Speaking on Wednesday after winning his US Championship game, Niemann said his victory was "a message to everyone". | Speaking on Wednesday after winning his US Championship game, Niemann said his victory was "a message to everyone". |
| In a news conference following a convincing win against 15-year-old grandmaster Christopher Yoo, Niemann was asked about the "elephant in the room" - a reference to the cheating scandal that has gripped the chess world. | In a news conference following a convincing win against 15-year-old grandmaster Christopher Yoo, Niemann was asked about the "elephant in the room" - a reference to the cheating scandal that has gripped the chess world. |
| Without addressing the allegations directly, Niemann said: "This game is a message to everyone. This entire thing started with me saying 'chess speaks for itself' and I think this game spoke for itself and showed the chess player I am. | Without addressing the allegations directly, Niemann said: "This game is a message to everyone. This entire thing started with me saying 'chess speaks for itself' and I think this game spoke for itself and showed the chess player I am. |
| "It also showed I'm not going to back down and I'm going to play my best chess here regardless of the pressure." | "It also showed I'm not going to back down and I'm going to play my best chess here regardless of the pressure." |
| Niemann then cut the interview short after less than 60 seconds. | Niemann then cut the interview short after less than 60 seconds. |
| "It was such a beautiful game I don't need to describe it."-@HansMokeNiemann's brief post-game interview after his victory vs. GM Yoo#USChessChamps pic.twitter.com/S1FFUdAO2t | "It was such a beautiful game I don't need to describe it."-@HansMokeNiemann's brief post-game interview after his victory vs. GM Yoo#USChessChamps pic.twitter.com/S1FFUdAO2t |
| "You can leave it to your own interpretation, but thank you, that's it", he said when the interviewer tried to ask more questions. | "You can leave it to your own interpretation, but thank you, that's it", he said when the interviewer tried to ask more questions. |
| "That's all I can say, because it was such a beautiful game I don't even need to describe it," he concluded. | "That's all I can say, because it was such a beautiful game I don't even need to describe it," he concluded. |
| Niemann, who was playing in the first round of the US Championship in St Louis, then walked out of the interview, prompting commentator Yasser Seirawan to laugh and say: "What? That's it? Ok." | Niemann, who was playing in the first round of the US Championship in St Louis, then walked out of the interview, prompting commentator Yasser Seirawan to laugh and say: "What? That's it? Ok." |
| Until the interview Niemann had not spoken about the scandal since 7 September when he admitted to cheating in informal games when he was younger but strenuously denied doing so in competitive games. | Until the interview Niemann had not spoken about the scandal since 7 September when he admitted to cheating in informal games when he was younger but strenuously denied doing so in competitive games. |
| Niemann added that he was willing to play naked to prove his innocence and accused Carlsen and Chess.com of trying to ruin his career. | Niemann added that he was willing to play naked to prove his innocence and accused Carlsen and Chess.com of trying to ruin his career. |
| The cheating row that's blowing up the chess world | The cheating row that's blowing up the chess world |
| World's top chess player accuses opponent of cheating | World's top chess player accuses opponent of cheating |
| Chess player 'likely cheated' in 100 games - report | Chess player 'likely cheated' in 100 games - report |
| The scandal began last month after 31-year-old Carlsen, considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, was defeated by Niemann at the Sinquefield Cup in a major upset. | |
| The Norwegian made veiled accusations of cheating against Niemann at the time before openly accusing him last week. | The Norwegian made veiled accusations of cheating against Niemann at the time before openly accusing him last week. |
| Then on Tuesday, a Chess.com investigation claimed it was likely Niemann had cheated "much more often" than he had admitted to, including in prize money events and against highly-rated "well known" figures in the game. | Then on Tuesday, a Chess.com investigation claimed it was likely Niemann had cheated "much more often" than he had admitted to, including in prize money events and against highly-rated "well known" figures in the game. |
| Chess.com also raised doubts about the speed of Niemann's improvement - which has seen him go from roughly 800 in the world into the top 50 in 20 months - describing this rise as the fastest in "modern recorded history". | Chess.com also raised doubts about the speed of Niemann's improvement - which has seen him go from roughly 800 in the world into the top 50 in 20 months - describing this rise as the fastest in "modern recorded history". |
| But it found no evidence he had cheated in his game against Carlsen or in any other over-the-board games. | But it found no evidence he had cheated in his game against Carlsen or in any other over-the-board games. |
| A separate statistical analysis of Niemann's over-the-board games by Prof Kenneth Regan, widely regarded as the world's leading expert on cheating in chess, has also found no evidence he cheated. | A separate statistical analysis of Niemann's over-the-board games by Prof Kenneth Regan, widely regarded as the world's leading expert on cheating in chess, has also found no evidence he cheated. |
| Not since 2006's "Toiletgate" has chess faced a cheating scandal at the elite levels of the game. | Not since 2006's "Toiletgate" has chess faced a cheating scandal at the elite levels of the game. |
| Back then, world championship challenger Veselin Topalov's team accused the champion Vladimir Kramnik of cheating during his "strange, if not suspicious" trips to the bathroom. | Back then, world championship challenger Veselin Topalov's team accused the champion Vladimir Kramnik of cheating during his "strange, if not suspicious" trips to the bathroom. |
| Prof Regan also found no evidence Kramnik had cheated. | Prof Regan also found no evidence Kramnik had cheated. |
| Watch: How a computer beat the best chess player in the world | Watch: How a computer beat the best chess player in the world |
| Watch: How a computer beat the best chess player in the world | Watch: How a computer beat the best chess player in the world |