Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann react after the semi-final of Chess dot com’s Speed Chess Championship went into a technical pause after the American GM complained about tech issues. (PHOTO: Screengrab from Chess dot com)
After some drama, Magnus Carlsen defeated Hans Niemann 17.5-12.5 in the semi-final of the Speed Chess Championship, in what was their first face off after their acrimonious feud two years ago involving unsubstantiated cheating allegations against Hans Niemann which then led to a $100m lawsuit from the American against the Norwegian. The much-talked about semi-final of the Speed Chess Championship saw one of the last games being aborted because Hans Niemann complained about technical problems with his mouse and the server. However, by this stage, Magnus Carlsen’s lead was unassailable.
“There’s some resistance on my mouse when I move it… it’s something with the server and the website,” Hans Niemann was heard complaining. At that stage, Magnus Carlsen held a winning position and was up by seven points with three minutes on the match clock.
Later, Hans Niemann tweeted: “There is no excuse for defeat. I will be back stronger. Thanks to all my fans, I promise you all, I’m determined to do whatever it takes to become the best player in the world.”
In response to his victory, Magnus Carlsen just posted a GIF of former NBA star Lance Stephenson blowing air into basketball legend LeBron James’ ear in a bid to annoy him during Game 5 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.
Magnus Carlsen took a 7-2 lead after the first stage (the longer format of five minutes per game with a one-second increment per move). Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann then drew the 3+1 time control 4-4 and the bullet section 6.5-6.5.
In the other semi-final at the Speed Chess Championship, Iran-born French grandmaster Alireza Firouzja defeated American GM Hikaru Nakamura to set up a final against Magnus Carlsen.
What was the cheating controversy regarding Hans Niemann?
World No 1 Magnus Carlsen had pulled out of the Sinquefield Cup two years ago after losing to Hans Niemann. While Magnus Carlsen did not directly accuse Hans Niemann of cheating, there were widespread claims that the then world champion believed that the American GM had cheated in their game. Chess dot com had later published a 72-page report where it stated that GM Hans Niemann “has likely cheated in more than 100 online chess games, including several prize money events.”
This had led Hans Niemann to file a $100m lawsuit which was later settled out of court.
