Susan Polgar for CNN: Magnus wouldn’t accuse Niemann of cheating without knowing more than probably all of us do

After Hans Niemann defeated the World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup 2022, Carlsen decided to withdraw from the tournament without detailed explanations. Rumors that Magnus Carlsen suspected Niemann was cheating started spreading over social media and the controversy over the Niemann – Carlsen case is not stopping. While Niemann spoke on the case on several occasions and confessed he cheated in online games, the World Chess Champion did not have many public announcements since then. Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann met again at the Julius Baer Generation Cup, when Carlsen kind of confirmed he is suspicious about Niemann’s fair play – he resigned the game in the second move and went offline (see the complete timetable of events below). Just yesterday, Carlsen published the official statement on the topic, publicly saying that he believes Niemann was cheating more – and more recent than he publicly admitted. Carlsen confirmed he was considering to withdraw from Sinquefield Cup as soon as he heard Niemann will replace Rapport in the tournament.

In connection with the recent happenings, legendary grandmaster and one of the best female chess players of all time, Susan Polgar, commented after Carlsen’s withdrawal from the Sinquefield Cup that the professional reputation of many parties is at stake. She also described Carlsen’s resignation against Hans Niemann as a protest move, adding that the performances of other young talents are sadly overshadowed by the ongoing Carlsen – Niemann stories. She gave advice to chess players, especially the young ones, not to cheat, because it is simply not worth it. Polgar suggested five solutions to deter chess cheating and one of them is a lifetime ban for players who were repeatedly found guilty of cheating. 

Susan Polgar today joined CNN’s live program speaking about the controversy that hit the chess world. Susan explained that it is possible to cheat over-the-board and that cheating has been a serious problem for chess for many years. Speaking about cheating allegations against Hans Niemann, Susan said: “I certainly don’t have all the information, and I was not there when this game was played. I know Magnus for half his life and I know him as a very principled young man. He wouldn’t make this implication even of an accusation, without knowing more than probably all of us do. I expect at some point, that he may reveal more information or evidence.” See the complete video below

The timetable of events related to the Carlsen – Niemann case:

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