Top grandmasters and chess journalists asked FIDE to react on the case. Hikaru Nakamura and Daniel Naroditsky concluded on the stream that it’s very tricky that online chess platforms for playing don’t have any agreements with FIDE, and that there should be clear communication between the main online servers and FIDE on the matter of cheating. English chess master Leonard Barden, The Guardian’s chess columnist, asked FIDE to step in, while GM Nigel Davies stated that the FIDE Ethics Commission should act if Carlsen does not give a public statement on the case. FIDE Director General Emil Sutovsky said that FIDE is concerned about recent developments of Carlsen – Niemann case and confirmed that FIDE will publish the official statement on the case.

After publishing the official statement, the FIDE Fair Play commission updated the public on the case. In the statement published today, FIDE Fair Play Commission informs that the FPL unanimously adopted the 30-page report on the Carlsen/Niemann incident and forwarded it to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission for further consideration. The content of the report will stay confidential to protect the procedure itself and all interested parties.

The full statement by the FIDE Fair Play Commission:

On February 17, the Fair Play Commission (FPL) unanimously adopted the report on the Carslen/Niemann incident drafted by the Panel tasked with investigating the case, composed of Klaus Deventer (chair), Vincent Geeraets and Salomeja Zaksaite.

On February 20, the 30-page report was forwarded to the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EC) for further consideration. 

EDC’s nominated panel will assess the FPL’s findings and reach a decision on the case within six weeks.

Pursuant to Art. 5 of the EDC Procedural Rules, until a decision is made, the contents of the Report shall be kept confidential to protect the procedure itself and all interested parties. Until then, no further comment on the matter shall be released by any FPL, EDC member, or any other FIDE official.

Magnus Carlsen was asked whether the fact that this is the last time he is appearing in the World Rapid and Blitz as the world champion in classical chess has any impact on how he approaches this event. “These championships have been very important for me for a decade, and they will continue to be an event to enjoy and covering for. I am always on the hunt for more titles and wins, and that will not change in the future regardless of the classical championship.”

Carlsen was also asked if he would play against Hans Niemann if the two were paired. “I don’t have an answer. I understand it’s a question that people want an answer to, but I hope you can understand I can’t answer it.”

Speaking about the recent rise in the popularity of chess, Carlsen noted the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on forcing people to stay indoors, but he also pointed to the rising awareness of mental health and the role chess can play in improving it: “Across many societies, there’s an emphasis on having not only a healthy body and a healthy mind and chess is quite suitable.”

Carlsen was asked if chess players work with mental coaches. “I never felt the need. I feel like I usually understand the reasons for my successes and failures. I haven’t felt the need to speak to professionals. I have people in my life I can talk to about these matters”, said Carlsen.

“People who work with me work hard so I can work less and focus more on the games. I think about chess all the time – I visualise the games and think about the ways I can improve. There is not a lot of deliberate practice or something that people perceive as work. I never wanted a classic nine-to-five job, and I don’t think I can ever treat chess as this… I think my way goes to show that there are several ways to obtain a goal.”

The world champion was also asked what the biggest lesson chess is has taught him. “Chess has taught me that spending a lot of time on chess will make you good at it. Everything is not necessarily transferable. The most helpful thing I learnt from chess is to make good decisions on incomplete data in a limited amount of time.”

There have been many good Kazakhstani players of the past, Carlsen noted. “One of the early good victories was against Evgeniy Vladimirov, who was a very strong player in the 1980s and 1990s and notable as Kasparov’s coach… Zhansaya Abdumalik is one of the best female players in the world. There are some strong young players. For now, there has been more success for Uzbekistan, your neighbours, but I’m sure that’s motivating for the youngsters here.”

He also spoke about other board games: “I am fascinated by other board games, especially the Japanese game shogi. As for go, I don’t know much about the game. I understand that it’s insanely complex. It’s more of a pure game than chess because the rules are simple and clear, and yet the game itself is so complicated. I’m used to playing chess, so I feel that it is more interesting because the pieces have different qualities. Chess has been around for a long time, and it’s still far from being figured out by us humans. It’s a wonderful game”.

The final question of the press conference was asked by a four-year-old. As usual, kids at that age ask questions which sound so simple but are very difficult. The question: How to become a world champion? Carlsen’s response? “Very easy, you just have to defeat the previous world champion!”

Replay the press conference here

Text: Milan Dinic
Photos: Lennart Ootes

While the Carlsen-Niemann Investigatory Panel has been working very hard in the past few weeks, the investigation is not yet completed. This is due to the complexity of the matter at hand, which requires the Investigatory Panel to search for and analyze all relevant evidence, and also to consult with external experts where needed.

The IP cannot disclose the content and interim outcome of its efforts; however, the Fair Play Commission wants to reassure all interested parties and the chess community that the IP is committed to its work and that constant progress is being made. The final report will be published as soon as technically possible.

The timetable of happenings related to the Carlsen – Niemann case:

Hans Niemann’s lawyers Oved & Oved already received a reply from Chess.com lawyers, followed by Carlsen’s lawyers while the chess community is buzzing with comments regarding the lawsuit (see Yosha Iglesias, Jonathan Rowson, and scroll down for all 95 articles on the Carlsen – Niemann chess drama). Indiana attorney Voyle Glover points out that jurisdiction will be the first issue to come into play, and this is exactly what Play Magnus group might be referring to in their response.

Tarjei Svensen cited the statement of Play Magnus, “The company is surprised by this complaint and finds no merit in the claims. Play Magnus is conferring with legal counsel regarding any potential actions.” Managing director Andreas Thome, cited by Posten, says, “We do not have any further comments beyond what we say in the message”.

Full text of Play Magnus press release

25.10.2022 08:45:01 CEST | Play Magnus AS | Non-regulatory press releases (Oslo, 25 October 2022) – On October 20, 2022, Hans Moke Niemann filed a complaint against Play Magnus AS.

The company is surprised by this complaint and finds no merit in the claims.
Play Magnus is conferring with legal counsel regarding any potential actions.

For purposes of clarity, Magnus Carlsen is an indirect shareholder of Play
Magnus AS holding 8.5% of shares through MagnusChess AS.

The timeline of events related to the Carlsen – Niemann case:

Hans Niemann’s lawyers Oved & Oved already received a reply from Chess.com lawyers, followed by Carlsen’s lawyers while the chess community is buzzing with comments regarding the lawsuit (see Yosha Iglesias, Jonathan Rowson, and scroll down for all 95 articles on the Carlsen – Niemann chess drama). But the first actual issue that the court in Missouri has to decide is jurisdiction. The Indiana attorney Voyle Glover shares the first issues of the Niemann – Carlsen lawsuit:

When and where did the actual defamation (if any) occur?
Did Magnus Carlsen defame Niemann in Missouri when Carlsen abruptly left the Sinquefield Cup games in St. Louis after his chess match (which he lost) with Niemann?
When did the defamation occur? And where?
Can the Plaintiffs link subsequent statements by Carlsen alleged to be defamatory to his quitting the Sinquefield Cup series?
Can Nakamura be sued in Missouri for making statements in Florida?

All in all, there will be a flurry of Motions to Dismiss filed by some if not all the parties based on jurisdiction

The timeline of events related to the Carlsen – Niemann case:

It is now time for Carlsen’s lawyers to act. Craig Reiser of Axinn Litigation, Magnus Carlsen’s lawyer, said for WSJ “Hans Niemann has an admitted history of cheating and his lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to deflect blame onto others. His legal claims are without merit.” Craig Reiser, also told Fortune, in a statement cited by Yahoo, that Niemann with his lawsuit is “nothing more than an attempt to deflect blame on others.”

The Wall Street Journal focus on an event that might have triggered Carlsen’s reaction – the beach game between Carlsen and Niemann. WSJ quotes Hikaru Nakamura, “Probably when he saw Hans’s play in Miami, and on the beach…it didn’t match with the level of the play in the actual event. When you combine it with the long-existing rumors, Magnus became convinced something was off.” With this quote WSJ hints to a theory that is over a month old: The Carlsen – Niemann conflict is more recent than everyone thinks

“Hanging around for a tournament promotion, they played on a board in the sand, watched by only a handful of people, including Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri. The games were casual, but the results were decisive. Mr. Carlsen, the five-time world champion from Norway and the highest-rated player of all time, wiped the beach with Mr. Niemann, according to Mr. Giri”

Andrew Beaton and Joshua Robinson, WSJ

The timeline of events related to the Carlsen – Niemann case: