Carlsen forfeits game against Niemann after two moves, further fueling chess cheating controversy

Carlsen and Niemann faced each other on the second day of the Julius Bär Generation Cup and the affair wasn’t without controversy. The world champion’s actions—resigning after just two moves—made it clear he’s unwilling to compete with the young American.

He lost to Niemann with the white pieces at the Sinquefield Cup, prompting him to retire from a tournament in progress for the first time in his chess career.

Though he remained coy, his insinuations are clear: he thinks Niemann’s either cheated or used leaked preparation against him. So far, no tangible evidence has emerged, apart from Niemann’s past cases of cheating in online play.

Magnus has not commented on the matter publicly since his initial tweet announcing his departure from the Sinquefield Cup. He used football manager José Mourinho’s infamous “if I speak, I’m in big trouble” press conference as the video snippet for the tweet. He also changed his Instagram profile description, adding “Beating someone once isn’t revenge.”

Now, it seems like he’s not letting the matter go, while still refusing to make a concrete accusation or to provide any tangible evidence.

Since then, the entire chess world seems to have weighed in on the controversy, from patzers to statisticians, from grandmasters to FIDE’s Director General.

Niemann has admitted to cheating online (though Chess.com maintains there’s more to the story) but there is no evidence of foul play over the board, including the Sinquefield Cup.