Chess News: The Tournament Cheating Scandal with Anal Beads?

Grandmaster Hans Niemann has made all sorts of chess news in 2022. Hans has been in the spotlight for a long time due to his Grandmaster status at just 19 years old but became infamous on September 4th when he beat the world champion, Magnus Carlsen, in the Sinquefield Cup.

Fans of chess were in shock when Hans beat Magnus, but there has been all sorts of wild theories floating around in chess news since the match.

Everything You Need to Know in Less Than 50 Words

Hans Niemann made international chess news when he beat the world champion, Magnus Carlsen, in the Sinquefield Cup on September 4th, 2022. Magnus has since accused Hans of cheating during that match, but the most bizarre theory is that Hans had anal beads giving him the “correct” moves to win.

Tell Me More

Hans Niemann was a notable figure in the chess world long before his chess match with Magnus Carlsen, but not for the best reasons. Hans was caught cheating on chess.com when he was just 12 years old and again at 16 years old, making many questions about the legitimacy of his grandmaster chess rating.

On September 4th, after Hans beat Magnus, the entire chess world was talking about the match between them, just trying to figure out what happened.

During a Twitch Livestream another chess Grandmaster, Eric Hansen, jokingly threw out the idea that Hans was getting his moves from vibrating anal beads, and the industry ran with it. The joke and theory was spread throughout chess forums, even managing to get Elon Musk to comment on the situation.

Source: Buzzfeed News – A Conspiracy Theory About Anal Beads Is Only The Beginning Of A Chess Cheating Allegation

Top Chess Courses

Advanced Chess Lessons by Amateur World Champion

Basics of chess – From Beginner to Grandmaster

Chess lessons by Fide trainer Darko Polimac

Explore More >

Fans of chess were in shock when Hans beat Magnus, but there has been all sorts of wild theories floating around in chess news since the match.

Magnus Directly Accuses Hans of Cheating

On September 26th, 2022, Magnus Carlsen finally accused Hans Niemann of cheating during their match, releasing a statement on Twitter. Within the statement, his direct allegations towards Hans were that:

“Niemann has cheated more — and more recently — than he has publicly admitted.”

Twenty days after their match ended with a surprising victory by Hans, Magnus validated all of the rumors circulating about the game. Magnus didn’t leave the allegations completely unfounded, as he also added his reasoning for believing that Hans was cheating:

“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.”

Coming from whom many consider the greatest chess player of all time, this statement holds a ton of weight within the chess world. Magnus has an incredible reputation spanning over ten years in the chess spotlight, so many take his statement as fact

Our Two Cents

So far, there is zero factual or physical evidence that Hans Niemann cheated in his match against Magnus Carlsen, so it’s incredibly unfair to label Hans 100% a cheater.

That also doesn’t mean that Hans didn’t cheat in the match. The entire chess world went crazy after the match, with thousands of people trying to figure out how Hans won.

Many experts have concluded that Hans played the program’s “best move” every single turn for the match. That means that Hans either played the best chess game of all time or cheated. It’s impossible to know either way, but something is off about Hans’ picture-perfect moves that match.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most frequently asked questions about chess, chess news, and Grandmasters.

Who is the Highest Ranked Chess Player in the World?

Magnus Carlsen is the highest-rated chess player in the world with a chess rating of 2889. His rating of 2889 is the highest FIDE chess rating ever recorded, and Magnus was also the second youngest grandmaster ever when he achieved the status at the young age of thirteen.

What Ranking is Hans Niemann?

Hans Niemann is the 40th highest-rated chess player in the world with a chess rating of 2699.

How Many Chess Grandmasters Are There?

There are about 2000 Grandmasters Chess players in the world, ranked by FIDE.

Who’s the Best Chess Player Ever?

The current world champion, Magnus Carlsen, has the highest chess rating ever achieved and many consider him to be the greatest of all time.

Although, other experts claim that earlier players such as Bobby Fischer or Gary Kasparov are better players. That’s because chess strategy is ever-evolving and many experts think that Fischer or Kasparov was more skilled for their respective eras.

Other Related Developments From Around the Industry:

The Undisputed Rules of Chess: How to Play Chess

Chess is one of the most complicated and mentally challenging games out there. Luckily there’s plenty of help online, like this article, a complete guide on how to play Chess that contains everything from how to set up the board to the validity of moves for each piece.

Amphy has all sorts of tools such as this individual chess lesson with a Woman Grandmaster that is perfect for someone trying to learn chess.

Carlsen Beats So As Champions Chess Tour Finals Begin In San Francisco

On Monday, November 14th, the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Finals began and world champion, Magnus Carlsen, beat the chess.com international champion, Wesley So, in the first round of the tournament.

The Finals of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour contains the top 8 chess players in the world as of November 2022: Magnus Carlsen, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Le Quang Liem, Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Arjun Erigaisi, and Wesley So.

Eline Roebers: 16 years old, International Master

The chess world is extremely male-dominated but that hasn’t stopped a young prodigy from the Netherlands, Eline Roberts. Eline is a 16-year-old girl from the Netherlands who is just a few steps away from becoming the 37th Woman Grandmaster in chess history. Her mark on the international chess scene is remarkable for a girl her age, and we all should look forward to her future in the sport.

Check Out Amphy For More Chess News or Chess Knowledge

Amphy.com is a fantastic place for chess experts and beginners alike, as it provides tons of relevant news coverage and offers various tools to improve your game. There are tons of free articles and guides to improve your chess knowledge, as well as tailored courses and content from Grandmasters themselves available.