Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann ‘not going to back down’ amid cheating allegations
By George Ramsay, CNN
Published 5:32 AM EDT, Thu October 6, 2022
Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann said he is “not going to back down” as accusations of widespread cheating intensify.
On Tuesday, an investigation by popular online platform Chess.com claimed Niemann “likely cheated” in more than 100 online matches, a week after world champion Magnus Carlsen explicitly accused the American of cheating in over-the-board games.
The 19-year-old Niemann has only admitted to cheating twice in his chess career at the ages of 12 and 16, and on Wednesday said his “chess speaks for itself” after defeating Christopher Yoo in the first round of the US championship in St. Louis.
“This game is a message to everyone,” Niemann said after his victory. “This entire thing started with me saying chess speaks for itself and I think this game spoke for itself and showed the chess player that I am.
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