CHENNAI: At the Sinquefield Cup two years ago, Magnus Carlsen set off a $100mn lawsuit after he lost an over-the-board game against Hans Niemann. The former multiple-time world champion, post that loss, accused the US player of cheating.
Those allegations not only tore the world of chess but shone an ugly light on the board game. For the record, Niemann, who admitted to cheating in online chess, denied any wrongdoing; since those allegation, there has been a settlement and organisers found no evidence that Niemann used unethical ways to win that game.
Even if the wider sporting world has moved on from that incident, fear continues to live in the corners. Suspicion has been heightened like never before and security protocols involve scanning for anal beads as well as deferred broadcasts.
It’s in this background that Carlsen will face Niemann for a first face-to-face meeting in the semifinal of the Speed Chess Championship in the first week of September (the other semifinal will be between Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja). While that case is closed for all practical purposes, there is so much bad blood it could well be an abandoned laboratory.
After beating Wesley So in one of the earlier rounds at the SCC, Niemann, who has never been a better player according to the ratings, said ‘I’m not a victim’. “I think that throughout my chess career, it will become abundantly clear that I deserve an apology, but I’m not a victim, so I don’t need an apology,” he said in an interview to chess.com “My vengeance will be victory on the chessboard.” The US player didn’t stop there. “I think (Carlsen’s) a sick, deluded person who wanted to destroy my life,” he said. “He did this out of pure vendetta.
“I am very motivated to settle things,” he added. Interestingly, Niemann, on Sunday, saw a potential opportunity to raise some money for the semifinal even though the event is being organised by chess.com. “I’m seeking sponsors for my upcoming match against Magnus in September,” he had posted on X. “If you are interested or know someone who might be, please reach out via DM.”
The Norwegian, 33, 12 years Niemann’s senior, meanwhile, eschewed the option of facing Niemann earlier this month. At the recently held team Championship organised by FIDE, Carlsen, sat out games where he may have well faced Niemann (he sat out several other games too). While there remains the option of the Norwegian refusing to play Niemann, he will likely face the US player.
“If I have a decent day, I will probably win without too many issues,” he was quoted as saying by The Guardian when he has asked about the match. To many, that may look like trash talk but there’s more than a grain of truth. The games will be contested in the blitz format and Carlsen remains the undisputed king where he will likely win even during an off day.
A bit about the Speed Chess Championship. It’s a 16-player straight knockout event with the first two rounds played online. While Carlsen beat Arjun Erigaisi (only Indian in the draw) in the quarterfinals, Niemann defeated So. The semis, final and the third-place match will be in person but matches will be played on a computer from September 6-8 in Paris. The format will exclusively be Blitz or Bullet but with differing time controls.