Chess website finds Hans Niemann likely cheated 'much more' than he publicly admitted

Jack Birle

October 04, 10:15 PM October 04, 10:15 PM

A 72-page report from an online chess server found Hans Niemann likely cheated in more than 100 online matches as recently as 2020.

The Chess.com report was released Tuesday after the chess world had been rocked by allegations Niemann had a history of cheating in the sport, leading to world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen abruptly leaving a match against him last month.

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"We present evidence in this report that Hans likely cheated online much more than his public statements suggest. However, while Hans has had a record-setting and remarkable rise in rating and strength, in our view there is a lack of concrete statistical evidence that he cheated in his game with Magnus or in any other over-the-board ('OTB') — i.e., in-person game," the report said.

Chess.com also said they "disagree" with Niemann's statements that he never cheated in tournaments with prize money, after the age of 16, or while streaming.

"Overall, we have found that Hans has likely cheated in more than 100 online chess games, including several prize money events. He was already 17 when he likely cheated in some of these matches and games. He was also streaming in 25 of these games," the report said.

The company said he admitted to them privately that he cheated and accepted the punishment of a ban for a period of time. They also touted their cheat detection system, which Niemann has called "the best cheat detection in the world."

In the report, the company states that they do not have the same concern about Niemann's over-the-board games, saying, "It is not our position that Hans should be limited or banned from OTB chess."

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Niemann has fiercely denied cheating in any over-the-board matches and has previously said cheating on online matches was the "greatest mistake of my life."