an attractive stream shakes the chess world - NPR

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Magnus Carlsen (left) and Hans Niemann face off on the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis on Sept. four. both had a rematch on Monday, but Carlsen handiest played one movement before resigning from the online game. Crystal Fuller/Grand Chess Tour hide caption

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Magnus Carlsen (left) and Hans Niemann face off on the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis on Sept. 4. both had a rematch on Monday, but Carlsen simplest played one stream before resigning from the video game.

Crystal Fuller/Grand Chess Tour

The dishonest controversy gripping the area of elite chess was already enigmatic — however it deepened much more on Monday, when world champion Magnus Carlsen abruptly resigned after making a single movement in his totally anticipated rematch with Hans Niemann.

Carlsen, 31, and Niemann, 19, have been facing off within the Julius Baer era Cup roughly two weeks after Niemann defeated Carlsen — a win that became instantly thrown into question by a cryptic tweet from Carlsen that looked as if it would suggest Niemann was dishonest.

The drama threw chess into a tizzy, and fueled anticipation for Monday's match between Carlsen and Niemann within the on-line tournament. but after Niemann made his first movement as white, Carlsen responded with a single stream as black and then give up.

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"What?!" numerous commentators noted in unison on video streams, as they struggled to grasp what had simply took place. Carlsen provided no clarification, as he straight away grew to become off his video digital camera. but his resignation became directly viewed as a protest and a refusal to play Niemann, of the U.S.

Five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen says he will not defend his title World five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen says he'll not protect his title

Many involved in chess are now calling for Carlsen, the Norwegian who has ruled international chess for the past decade, to provide a full account of his movements. Some also say the overseas Chess Federation should review the case, each to discover any cheating and to handle the harm finished when one of the vital most advantageous players of all time refuses to play in a tournament he has entered.

"The implications of this are horrifying," grandmaster Maurice Ashley informed NPR. "it be awful."

The fallout tiers from warping one match's effects to raising questions about different players' legitimacy and additionally about the game's future, Ashley said.

First, some context amplify this image

Hans Niemann, seen here, defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, but questions about dishonest then arose. Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour disguise caption

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Hans Niemann, viewed here, defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen on the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, however questions on cheating then arose.

Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

On Sept. 5, Carlsen withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis after losing to Niemann. instead of making an instantaneous remark at the time, the world champion posted a video clip of a soccer supervisor announcing, "I decide on not to communicate. If I talk, i am in massive crisis."

Chess.com then banned Niemann and uninvited him from the international Championship, an adventure that can be determined in November, with a $1 million prize on the line.

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The plot deepened additional on Sept. 6, when Niemann publicly admitted he has used electronic devices to cheat in the past — but most effective in on-line games, and most effective when he changed into 12 and 16 years ancient.

within the first example, Niemann stated, he became "simply a child." He called the second "an absolutely ridiculous mistake" that occurred when he become trying to build up his ranking and support his profession in on-line streaming.

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"i used to be confronted; I confessed," Niemann stated, adding that he become punished with an preliminary ban and has on the grounds that committed himself to proving his skills.

however two days after that interview, Chess.com released a press release about its recent resolution to ban Niemann, asserting it has shared "specific proof" with him "that contradicts his statements related to the amount and seriousness of his cheating on Chess.com."

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— Chess.com (@chesscom) September 8, 2022 Monday's one-stream game stunned chess commentators

"What will we say now?" Grandmaster David Howell asked on the end of Carlsen's one-stream video game.

In Maurice Ashley's view, the subsequent movement is Carlsen's. After two weeks of insinuation, he talked about, it's time for readability. even more perplexing, he says, is that Carlsen is carrying on with within the generation Cup after resigning against Niemann.

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Grandmaster Maurice Ashley right through an interview on the Chess discussion board in long island on April 12, 2016. Mark Lennihan/AP disguise caption

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Grandmaster Maurice Ashley all the way through an interview at the Chess forum in new york on April 12, 2016.

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"it be no longer an outstanding look for Magnus to simply be silent and let heaps, if not a whole lot of thousands of americans pile up on a 19-12 months-historic who has admitted doing incorrect during the past and is now saying, 'I just want to play chess,' " Ashely stated.

A 16-year-old from India has beaten world chess champion Magnus Carlsen World A 16-yr-ancient from India has beaten world chess champion Magnus Carlsen

"I suppose that as a number one ambassador for the recreation, Magnus has to assert some thing. He has to give some variety of clarification, as a result of in any other case all and sundry ends up searching dangerous."

Detailing how the circumstance affects different avid gamers, organizers and sponsors, Ashely notes that after Carlsen stop, he talented Niemann with three points. That may well be essential in a match where most effective the true half of the 16-player field will advance to the next circular.

"there is funds on the road in this adventure, precise dollars," Ashley noted. "And Hans getting three full elements may also end up having him qualify doubtlessly over an additional participant that Magnus didn't resign in opposition t."

Chess has to find the correct circulate enlarge this image

Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, considered right here in a file photograph from 2011 when he performed 30 school-aged children in Washington, D.C., says reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen should still clear the air over his contemporary fits with Hans Niemann. Ricky Carioti/The Washington put up by the use of Getty photos conceal caption

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Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, seen right here in a file image from 2011 when he played 30 faculty-aged infants in Washington, D.C., says reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen should still clear the air over his fresh matches with Hans Niemann.

Ricky Carioti/The Washington publish by means of Getty photographs

Ashley watched Monday's fit as a fan. to place the experience in perspective for fanatics of different activities, he suggests thinking of LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers trotting out to half-court for the opening tipoff of a big online game — handiest to let the ball roll out of bounds after which exit the enviornment.

"here is actually the optimal participant on the planet enjoying in a match and easily quitting" with out rationalization, Ashley referred to.

"this is now not what sports are about. We simply cannot continue like this."

The cheating accusations emerged after Niemann's player score on Chess.com enjoyed "a extremely colossal, virtually unprecedented upward thrust" considering that the delivery of 2021, Caleb Wetherell, who runs Pawnalyze, a chess analysis site, informed NPR ultimate weekend.

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Niemann's upward thrust can be interpreted as that means he was underrated by the gadget. however Ashley and others be anxious that cheating suspicions could now taint any younger prodigy who improves unexpectedly, in a box that's lengthy been noted for its prodigies.

as a result of the scale of the questions raised by using Carlsen's moves, there are expanding requires the overseas Chess Federation to examine — an idea with which Ashley concurs.

"somebody has to step in and determine what's occurring and give us some kind of technique for moving ahead," he referred to.

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