Ever since Magnus Carlsen accused Hans Niemann of cheating, the world of chess — particularly its online format — has been viewed with considerable apprehension.
Concerns around cheating, once nearly absent, now permeate the game and have led to increased security measures at tournaments.
Srinath Narayanan recalls a time when players could relax between rounds, ordering fries or playing pool during a '10-minute prayer break'. "It's impossible to think of those times now," says Narayanan, the tournament director for the Chennai Grand Masters (CGM).
Reflecting on an era when trust between players was implicit, he describes it as an age of "innocence," one that now feels lost.
The atmosphere in chess changed dramatically in 2022, when Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating during their over-the-board (OTB) match at the Sinquefield Cup. Though Niemann wasn’t found guilty, the allegation fuelled widespread suspicion.
Leon Luke Mendonca, competing in the CGM’s Challengers section, recalls the “paranoia” he felt when facing Niemann in 2023. "He played a very risky line with black. I got a much better position, but I was still paranoid... what if this is some computer thing I didn’t understand? But I kept outplaying him. By the time I won, I wasn’t certain if he was cheating or not." After a later match, Mendonca concluded Niemann’s style was simply reflective of his unique personality.
Paranoia in chess — especially online — has reached breaking point, fuelled by the ease with which information can be transmitted. Levon Aronian, playing in the CGM Masters section, remarked, "You can never be 100% sure when it comes to online chess. I don’t care; I believe in karma. I play with a free and relaxed mind."
Reflecting on OTB games, he added, “People make so many mistakes. Your opponent is an idiot just like you (laughs).”
In the wake of the Carlsen-Niemann incident, tournament organisers have implemented stringent anti-cheating measures. The CGM, like many other events, delays its broadcast by 15 minutes to prevent external access to real-time positions.
Narayanan explains additional steps taken: "We do have a walkthrough scanner. Once players pass that, we have a typical handheld metal detector. Players are forbidden from bringing in electronic devices, including mobile phones and smartwatches, and are discouraged from wearing jewellery. The winner is taken to a screening room and checked for electronic devices. The toilets are exclusively for players, and there's a full sweep to ensure no devices are planted."
However, Aronian sees limits to these measures: "Cases of cheating over the board are rare, but if somebody wants to cheat, they will. It’s unfortunate; it’s like fighting corruption."
He adds that while organisations like FIDE are working to make players feel secure, individual clubs have introduced costly advanced equipment. "At St Louis Chess Club, they have a device that scans for every single digital wave. But this device is expensive."
The heightened vigilance has dulled the joy many players once found in chess. Iranian GM Parham Maghsoodloo, competing at Chennai, has largely stopped playing online due to doubts over fair play. "It can just kill your brain," he says, reflecting on the mental toll of suspicion.
Narayanan, who is also a coach and administrator, urges players to temper their suspicions. "Closet discussions are going on, and a lot of them are baseless and random. Once you believe or suspect that the other person is cheating, you can’t play them again. It affects your play. You start playing suboptimally."
Mendonca, 18, describes a similar internal conflict, recalling an encounter with a lower-rated player during the Dubai Open. “He was rated 2300 but playing at a 2650 level. I was contemplating asking the arbiter to check. After the game, he offered to discuss it, and I realised he had just played really well.”
He also faced off against Kirill Shevchenko at the Romanian Team Championships. "Last month, I played Kirill and he had this habit of going away from the board. I wasn’t worried. I thought he liked thinking away from the board."
Despite growing suspicions, FIDE Deputy Head Viswanathan Anand sees cheating accusations as an ongoing problem. "It would be an arms race. There will be no final measure. Once you feel you have screened for all these things, imagine in a couple of years people will think ‘Well, you haven’t screened for this’ because everything has shrunk. It’s a problem we will continue to deal with."
As the sixth and penultimate round of the CGM approaches, players face thorough security checks before being allowed to play. After their games, they must walk 100 metres to retrieve their personal belongings, handed to them in a sealed cover.
This is the world of chess in 2024 — a place where fear, suspicion, and precautions against cheating now define the game.