Chess is one of, if not, the most intellectually challenging games of any kind that exists in the world. It’s no surprise that there are many people that play chess internationally today and have taken the game to another level. The amount of dedication that top players put into their craft is hard to describe with words. In a game such as this, pride and integrity matter more than anything else. So, when an incident like cheating occurs, it’s a big deal. Especially when the best player in the world is involved. After defeating World Champion Magnus Carlsen in an over-the-board match at the Sinquefield Cup, 19-year-old Grandmaster Hans Niemann has been accused of cheating and his career is at risk of ending early. 

At this point in time, the entire chess community has either chosen to side against Niemann, or side with him for now. With Niemann in the center of this, it was up to him to make his stance about the cheating accusations. During an interview, he addressed not only the audience, but top players that had targeted him. The thing is, he did admit to cheating. However, it was concerning games that happened years prior to recent events. He stated that the only two times he cheated included once when he was 12 years old in an online tournament. The other was during the early pandemic where he cheated in online matches to ascend toward higher ranks in order to play against better players for the sake of streaming online. Although, he had already faced the consequences for both of these instances and has said to never have cheated outside of those times. 

After Niemann’s response, the chess community continues to be divided. This is due to the fact that Niemann has made an unusually fast climb to the top level, and that his play has been found to be very similar to that of computer programs. Carlsen even went as far as to withdraw from the Sinquefield Cup after losing to Niemann, which is an incredibly rare move, because he thought he was cheating. However, there is no concrete evidence that Niemann has cheated outside of the times he admitted. To add, Niemann defeated Carlsen in a game that was in person, which was heavily supervised. Players are also scanned before being allowed to play in these tournaments, so there is no real way that Niemann could have cheated in that scenario.

Even with the lack of evidence to show Niemann’s guilt, many players still want him to be banned from competing. Chess.com has even stepped out of their way to ban him from their website. Cheating is something taken very seriously in chess and all competitive fields so it should be taken seriously, but it should also not be used as an accusation lightly. Without proof, pointed fingers can serve to be extremely damaging to genuine players. In Niemann’s case, it would bode well if the community considered the phrase: “innocent until proven guilty.”