Two days after Chess.com launched a 72-page report detailing Grandmaster Hans Niemann’s repeated historical past of on-line dishonest on its web site, the beleaguered professional is now, a lot to everybody’s shock, competing in 2022’s U.S. Chess Championship. And whereas the web has cracked loads of jokes about how, precisely, Niemann could be dishonest in over-the-board play, plainly among the suspicions about his conduct have been partially validated by the amped-up safety measures on the St. Louis Chess Membership that’s internet hosting the occasion. I’m sorry to say we’re nonetheless going to be speaking about anal beads.
To get in in any respect, contestants discovered themselves subjected to a safety examine that’s not like something the competitors has seen earlier than. In the course of the livestream, viewers might see a guard taking time to scan individuals up and down with a tool, generally briefly pausing at particular physique elements. Presumably, it’s all in favor of looking for hidden dishonest gadgets, particularly after Niemann’s extraordinarily public fallout with reigning five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen.
Whereas there’s not been any precise, concrete proof Niemann has cheated throughout play in a real-world setting, Carlsen and among the chess group have accused Niemann of humorous enterprise. The suspicions are hinged on Niemann’s earlier historical past of on-line dishonest, which per the report have been incidents as current as 2020, but additionally because of the unusual means by which Niemann behaves. In contrast to most high gamers, Niemann doesn’t appear practically as bothered throughout high-stakes competitions. And the chess group hasn’t been proud of Niemann’s weird commentary on the methods which have made him one of many fastest-rising Grandmasters on the planet. Issues received unhealthy sufficient that Magnus rage-quit after only one transfer in a match, all in protest in opposition to Niemann’s continued competitors.
The St. Louis locale’s director spoke to the added safety measures throughout the competitors’s livestream, the place the commentator interviewing him acknowledged that Niemann deserved to be there.
“Clearly we need to make sure that our occasions are held with the very best integrity potential,” he stated. “And we need to guarantee truthful play throughout all of the tournaments. I need the gamers to really feel, figuring out that once they come to play in St. Louis, that we take it very severely,” the director added.
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He famous that the championship has all the time employed steel detectors, however now they’ve added radio frequency scanners that should seize any potential digital signaling emanating from gamers. They now additionally examine for silicon gadgets, which they declare scanners can choose up even when the system isn’t turned on. Along with “bodily scanning,” the director additionally stated the competitors has a dishonest knowledgeable on deck watching occasions unfold, Ken Regan. And simply to be further secure, the match additionally instituted a 30-minute delay on the livestream, too.
When Niemann received scanned, safety appeared barely extra intense than it did for the opposite gamers. Everybody received scanned from head to toe, however safety appeared to linger for a number of further moments on elements of Niemann’s physique, at one level turning him round. To me, it appeared as in the event that they checked Niemann’s butt slightly extra intently than they did different opponents. I’m positive they weren’t checking for anal beads, the theorized technique the web jokes Niemann should be utilizing to cheat. A minimum of, I’m positive they weren’t checking for simply that, or particularly that. We’ve got contacted the St. Louis Chess Membership concerning the extra safety measures.
In response to a neighborhood newspaper, viewers have been allowed within the room initially of the proceedings, however have been shortly escorted out. The director notes that even media needed to depart electronics exterior, and so they have been all accompanied by chess membership employees.
Niemann, it ought to be famous, received the primary spherical in opposition to Grandmaster Christopher Yoo. Right here’s Chess.com with the breakdown of how issues went down:
The increasingly-popular Jobava London [system of chess play] was the weapon of alternative for Yoo although issues shortly rotated because the younger GM was repelled by the middle.
Regardless of the wholesome benefit, Niemann discovered himself with seconds left on the clock and wanted to make a number of exact strikes to make it to the time management at transfer 40. On transfer 36, Yoo helped his opponent with the blunderous 36.e6??
Maybe essentially the most entertaining second got here after the showdown, when Niemann received interviewed about his match. He was defiant of any line of questioning.
“I believe that this recreation is a message to everybody,” he stated. “You recognize, this whole factor began with me saying ‘chess speaks for itself’ and I believe this recreation spoke for itself and confirmed the chess participant that I’m and in addition confirmed that I’m not going to again down and I’m going to play my greatest chess right here whatever the presure that I’m beneath. That’s all I need to say about this recreation. You recognize, chess speaks for itself, that’s all I can say. You may depart it to your personal interpretation, however thanks.”
Shocked, the commentator requested if Niemann was positive about this.
“That’s all I’d wish to say, sure. If it was such an exquisite recreation, I don’t want to explain it,” he answered.
