Chess world champion Magnus Carlsen has accused fellow rival Hans Niemann of cheating during games.
In his statement on Monday, September 26, Carlsen claimed that his rival has been cheating in recent matches.
The statement follows Carlsen’s recent withdrawal from the 2022 Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis after his third-round defeat against Hans Niemann.
“I believe that Niemann has cheated more - and more recently - than he has publicly admitted. His over-the-board progress has been unusual, and throughout our game, in the Sinquefield Cup, I had the impression that he was not tense or even fully concentrating on the game in critical positions while outplaying me as black in a way I think only a handful of players can do.
“This game contributed to changing my perspective,” part of his statement read.
Earlier, Carlsen noted that something had to be done as he will not play against competitors who have cheated.
He stated that the reason he could not play against such players is that he is unsure of what they can do in the future.
The world champion also revealed that his unprecedented withdrawal during the Champions Chess Tour against Niemann after playing only one move was due to the uncertainty he had with his opponent.
He added that there is more he could reveal but it was impossible, as he had to get explicit permission from Niemann to speak openly.
“So far, I have only been able to speak with my actions, and those actions have stated clearly that I am not willing to play chess with Niemann. I hope that the truth on this matter comes out, whatever it may be,” his statement read.