Dear Hikaru, Is This It??

The boys react to Hikaru's reaction to Fabi's cheating analysis during his latest interview with ‪@MustreaderChess‬. GET MERCH AND SHOW YOUR LOVE 👕 c-squared.shop/
Fabi's Interview with Greg Mustreader▶️ • FABIANO CARUANA: "I co...
Hikaru's Reaction ▶️ • Will Cheating Be the E...
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[@knivetsil]

After a certain point in the reaction-ception chain, it just makes more sense to have a real-time discussion. Would love to see Hikaru back on the podcast again and see the three of you talk about cheating in real time.

[@harimuchi3716]

knowing hikaru ego it's war never gonna happen

[@revenantronin8377]

​@@harimuchi3716 Okay Harimuchi who knows Hikaru's ego.

[@firebug3256]

I prefer this style. It allows both people to take the time to make a well thought out case. In person debates are usually just viewer spectacles that use rhetoric to try to find a "gotcha" moment to sink the opponent.

[@berniecat8756]

They’re communicating via KZbin videos. Let them cook.

[@sreekanth7223]

No. Reaction to reaction is fun. Let's go to a level where we forget the original video. 😆

[@FloydMaxwell]

Hikaru takes one thought and turns it into ten repeated sentences.

[@VirtueSignal9000]

glad I’m not the only one who notices the repetition, saying something over & over isn’t more. Fabi is way more measured

[@zfeazcesd1047]

i see it as a sign of low intelligence. trump does it a lot too.

[@michaeloconnor6264]

Let's call it a day 5 times.

[@harimuchi3716]

Hikaru big ego he Need to relax

[@markyang1924]

"Take. Take. Take. Take. Take. Then...take. take. Take."

[@jaypraxxz7375]

Now we need to see Hikaru react to fabbi reacting to hikaru reacting to fabi

[@seinundzeiten]

Hikaru tends to jump to a lot of wrong conclusions

[@belladonnaofsadness981]

then kramnik's reaction on top of that

[@johannsnowy]

I'd like to know where you noticed that, because this video was basically just about views and opinions...@@seinundzeiten

[@Siroguh]

this is happening 100%

[@Chris-ui6tv]

Simulacrum

[@seinundzeiten]

fabi is very rational and does not tend to over-react- it was a great discussion...

[@theonexx762]

I'm a big fan of Hikaru, but even I admit he's picking unnecessary fights with everyone on the scene. Constantly calling out people even tho he agrees with that person on 95% of stuff. There's a way to express disagreement without calling peoples opinion "insane and stupid".

[@luciangv3252]

is big mouth

[@Ricehigh85]

A lot of youtube dollars in drama. Probably much less about expressing his opinion than pleasing viewers in many cases

[@aleladebiri]

OK but this means you don't know Hikaru really well and have been following him for a few years at most, because the behaviour you described is typical of Hikaru, he had just been holding himself back recently but the Kramnik attack made it all come out again.

[@quibble9003]

​@@aleladebirithis is the exact behavior op said they hated abt hikaru, and you just had to emulate it in a reply. cant u see the irony?

[@aleladebiri]

@@quibble9003 but it's Hikaru that he says he is "a big fan of", not me. So yes there is an irony but it's about him and Hikaru, not me.

[@truebeerus]

Hello Fabi, I just want to say that your composure and clarity of thought is very admirable. Specially in the difficult moments, the points were kept quiet clear and concise. And nor did you back off in saying things that can be inconvenient to hear. There are some really positive lessons people can learn about thought process and communication by listening to you!

[@vlj1133]

Fabi seems like the archetype of the ideal priest, attorney, accountant, judge, therapist, son, father, or friend. So calm, levelheaded, openminded, pragmatic, reasonable, intelligent, grounded, and fair. Above all else...classy. His parents should be very proud. They clearly raised him right.

[@curious9]

You wouldn’t be a successful youtuber with such characteristics - people need more drama and strong opinions. I bet Kramnik will have more subscribers soon, with all respect to C2

[@wacquantx]

"The ideal priest" ? what ?

[@permabearxbt]

@@wacquantx I know 3 priests and they are the calmest and one of the most intelligent people I know. Priests in my country and most have to be in university for atleast 6 years, so idk what your comment is

[@gimaiyo]

Best compliment yet.

[@OGRia]

i agree brother

[@timotheuspeter734]

They should just sit down and talk about this for two hours. I would definitely watch it.

[@thomassavage8581]

i agree

[@mugiwara839]

No. That would be over soon. This is more fun, creates a lot more drama.

[@ajd8705]

This is a good feeling. No feeling beef at all. Just reaction and explaining. Haha

[@waitz27]

Glad there was a response (and a quick one) to Hikaru's reaction on Fabi's thoughts during this interview. Hikaru tends to polarize opinion with many loving him and many disliking him, I enjoy much of his content but he does tend to react quickly--much like his chess!!--and not allow time for others to finish their points and more importantly himself to often not think about what he's saying/trying to rationalize in reply! Great content as always guys. Good luck with all you do this coming year.

[@Hanabis924]

Well it's a reaction to what was said at that moment because he doesn't know if there will be more context. Now Fabi is giving more context and Hikaru will respond accordingly. This context doesn't come out if there wasn't a reaction imo This isn't white knighting Hikaru. It's just how reactions videos work. You react to a react to a react etc.. And profit /s 😅

[@waitz27]

It's more to do with how Hikaru reacts--not thinking a great deal before he does so--than 'how reaction videos work'. Certain people will digest what someone says for more than 2 seconds and then respond rather than jumping in repeatedly before doing so. It's a matter of taste as always for sure. I just prefer a more considered approach is all.@@Hanabis924

[@Hanabis924]

@@waitz27 I don't think an extra few seconds would help Hikaru anyway 😉 Not making excuses but he is on stream as well with people feeding him certain info or asking him more pointed questions as well. Another thing is that he is live and making content so he will just say what he thinks. I mean look at Asmongold. He gets cancelled all the time for his brazen first reaction but does clarification on reacts to reacts. It's personality trait and I cant really hold it against him. It's just we are all different and think differently and aren't mind readers to totally get 100% what the other person is saying. That is why there are walk backs or further explanations to explain yourself. I mean this is good indirect dialogue between the two to understand a bit more how each other thinks and future reactions will take that into account

[@waitz27]

@@Hanabis924 No idea as to Asmongold & I'd rather not look after a quick internet search, but agree with most of what you say above. All the best to you squire.

[@WhiskeyjackZA]

He is a good example that you can be a super GM in chess, but have a pretty poor understanding of data science, poor reasoning and bad logic in other areas. This chess god = smart. Is not only silly, but it seems a lot of chess fans really want to believe it as well...

[@flooent]

Caruana is the adult in the room.

[@TN-kl8fp]

Solution to naming banned players… If player admits to cheating and wants to be reinstated, it will be public. If player does not want to admit to cheating, no reinstatement and permanent banned.

[@RichACBlues]

and no more money events.

[@OldTzar]

I appreciate you guys putting this to light. People have been turning a blind eye to cheating and ridiculing anybody speaking out about cheating. Definitely needs to be discussed more!

[@thelurker3795]

16:15 Bro exactly what I was thinking while watching Hikaru's reaction, cheaters always try to keep a low profile, especially in prized events, the chances of getting caught would increase dramatically if they actually cheated all the way to the top during the tournament, so they obviously keep it lowkey and make a little money here and there, it's the only way not to get busted.

[@blas_de_lezo7375]

Ok now we need hikaru's comment on comment on comments. ! We need at least 2 or 3 more levels ! Let the meta-chess-wars begin!

[@theScariest]

I think Hikaru is either negligent, dishonest or incapable of understanding the arguments. You can tell from the first part of the video that Fabi was addressing Fide regulations/tournament checks. Hikaru responds as if Fabi is saying he thinks there are under-the-skin implants. This is what we call a strawman argument. The only question is if it's deliberate or not. Right now I think it's just negligence but he should really be more careful in cases like this. He does the same thing with Kramnik.

[@RichACBlues]

HIkaru is scared is the takeway I have. I think the website is refusing to ban headphones in money events because of him. I still remember when magnus insisted on a arbiter in hikaru's room during a meltwater tournament and hikaru got smashed lol. He probably fears such aggressive measures, which I agree is suspicious.

[@geauxgaia]

All the appreciation and admiration for C-Squared

[@anoukadel6397]

Love you two being in the painting, it's like some Harry Potter scene. Like both of you were there already, invisible, and you show yourselves only now. It's so funny!

[@csqpod]

Good catch!

[@RichACBlues]

yes I thought the production was good on the video. well done.

[@santeriojanen8479]

You should do more with this kind of inventive visual stuff. When there's opportunity of course - just commenting on tournament etc. If you can use the base material there is opportunities to implement yourself in the composition...

[@radjedi2010]

I'm a fan of Hikaru's and defend him constantly, but he doesn't have the most incisive reasoning skills. When I listened to this reaction a few days ago, I disagreed with almost every point he made.

[@manojp86]

I really liked fabianos explanation. He was very fair and respectful

[@enabani]

Hikaru getting taste of his own medicine 🤣

[@Chessmates223]

Yeah and thats called karma he now felt what he did to hans Nieman😂😂

[@fantasy8833]

@@Chessmates223 what do you say to those people who say karma doesn't exist, or that karma only works on NPCs and not real souls

[@normancraytor6749]

Fabi is clearly the smartest US player. Hikaru is basically a caricature at this point, its so weird seeing Fabi reacting to Hikaru's circus.

[@seinundzeiten]

yes Fabiana and Aronian are the calmest players in the World

[@JackHarb89]

Saying chess is dead, especially online chess, while it's actually on the rise even is not "smart". I like Fabi, but this take is simply stupid. And if he needs another video to clarify his opinion, while in another he clearly said it's dead, is like a show case of not being smart. Also Fabi has no backing of his numbers. Nevertheless, I like Fabi a lot, but glorifying him is maybe not it.

[@silvervayne8749]

​@@JackHarb89Thinking he meant dead as in number of active players compared to what he actually means which is that you can't trust a damn thing about it shows that you're not following along properly.

[@JackHarb89]

@@silvervayne8749 who said I mean in terms of numbers? But saying online chess is dead, while actually there is a rise of online tournaments, more money invested into and more players playing, is stupid. In the top tournaments, the same people as in otb are present and WINNING! So tell me, are these now cheaters? Thats why he can't compete? Don't be a fool.

[@tempogod]

@@JackHarb89 Jesus christ you are dense

[@bmac8322]

It would be cool to chat with hikaru on a zoom call for an episode about all this. two of the best players of all time that understand the situation better than almost anyone talking openly + together about relevant major current topics, i would totally watch that. great conversation as always, wish you all the best :)

[@jjjmethosjjj]

I think one thing I'm not seeing people mention as to why somebody would cheat but not actually cheat enough to win money, is the rating gain opportunity. In Titled Tuesday they get matched up with much higher rated opponents that they generally would get matched with in the general matchmaking system. If they just cheat in that one game and win they get so many more points than beating multiple people at their level. Cheating in that one game instead of multiple games with people at their level can be seen as less suspicious because it can be an anomaly of them just having the perfect game versus them consistently beating people with suspicious moves over a long period of time. Perfect targets for this are people who don't play on stream, like Fabi.

[@JustinCredible-x1w]

Hikaru sounds pretty naive. People will cheat just to cheat. Like a compulsive liar. They compulsively cheat

[@KarlMarxBR700]

Hikaru is just too strong. Because of him being so good, cheaters can't win against him, so he doesn't notice their existence.

[@oraz.]

Yeah but 2700 players you'd think are more rational

[@RichACBlues]

@@EOh-ew2qf Its well known the cheaters don't cheat against Magnus or Hikaru. Probably because they are worried it will bring them too much attention. Nepo talked about this exact thing in a recent interview. And he made me realize, just imagine how the other players must feel when they know they will be cheated against, but HIkaru and Magnus won't. That must really hurt morale and focus lol. We saw that with the websites hans neiman report. Hans cheated against most players, but never HIkaru.

[@mikemartin5340]

I *think* hikaru is just so fed up and hurt by what Kramnik has done to him, and this is his reaction. Either that, or he actually is a cheater lol. Former much more likely

[@MysteryBop]

Invite Hikaru onto the podcast and talk about it

[@johnlicciardello2389]

Naka was leading the charge when Hans was accused of cheating. Now that Naka is being accused, he is now going soft on cheaters.

[@johannsnowy]

First of all, this is a whole other topic than Hikaru's Hans situation and I'd like to see the clip where Hikaru is going soft on cheaters

[@RichACBlues]

I'm glad i'm not the only one who sees that. I think the real reason the website is refusing to ban headphones is because of HIkaru. has nothing to do with a time delay which could be easily circumvented from someones home. I mean come on.

[@Dalibansoldier]

"Look chat, why doesnt d-doesnt Fabiano just quit then chat? I mean surely he should quit? I mean cmon chat, like cmon he should just quit if he feels this way chat?"

[@BC-sg8mb]

Fabiano did originally say that the cheater made "hundreds of thousands" which is a much smaller list than the list that has made over $100K. Very curious who he was talking about.

[@joaocarlosdarosafagundes7482]

It could've been either a slip of tongue or him overestimating how much that person had made. The cheater isn't necessarily on the list of $200k+.

[@RichACBlues]

When Fabi said noone has ever asked him to show his ears, which means they only did for HIkaru, I almost spit out my food hahahah. I still remember when Magnus insisted on an arbiter in Hikaru's room for a meltwater tournament which Hikaru than got smashed in and vowed never to enter again he was so upset about it. I wonder if the same would of been asked of Fabi. LMAO. oh man this a very healthy discussion on the future of the game, but at the same time its so damn entertaining.

[@spacejuice6941]

Man i love fabi and Cristian

[@bharlesCabbage]

How was that guy just allowed to defraud a tournament and walk away without surrendering the device? Sounds like total bull.

[@andrewflemming5071]

Because he didn't commit a crime and he has a right against unreasonable search and seizure

[@bharlesCabbage]

"Unreasonable search and seizure" has no direct relation to private entities. The players have an agreement with the tournament organizers upon joining. He had a device on his clothes in a tournament and he allowed to choose the most convenient option for him. But I get it. It's hard to go to court with so many people. But giving them the option to keep playing? That's hilarious. @@andrewflemming5071

[@dontvoteforanybody3715]

@@andrewflemming5071 The right against unlawful search and seizure is a right citizens have against the government. Private arrangements are not protected from such constitutional guarantees. Organizers simply have to make search procedures, and seizure of unrecognized technology, a part of the terms of participation. Then its legal; participants have consented in advance to it.

[@patrickdaly1088]

As a ~2000 player with a single victory against a GM in 3 minute chess, one time GM Illia Nyzhnyk (2611 FIDE) blundered a full rook against me in a 5+0 *and still beat me.* I was running out of time, I'm pretty sure he was drunk, but he had an extra minute and hella counterplay with his queenside passers. I freaked out because I knew I was winning but it was tricky, psychologically I just collapsed. Which is one of the reasons I'm 2k and not a GM, 2k's can sometimes play like a GM but not reliably or they wouldn't be 2k anymore. The one game I did beat a GM eventually, he had 9 seconds on his clock, an extra queen and was one tempo away from mating me, but I had a morphy mate lurking that he missed. I've also been absolutely SLAIN by NM's who find first engine line in Ryder Gambit in 3 seconds or less, every move. Something's rotten in the state of Denmark, I know how very strong humans play and can sometimes hold my own against them, so when I get dominated by 1700's who would make Karpov proud, or NM's playing flawlessly... "Like dude, I played you last week and you hung a full piece while I shuffled for 30 moves in a Hippo which you allowed me to lock up, I know your NM ego hurts, but you're playing entirely differently this week, from a clock and board style perspective." I wouldn't say I'm good at chess yet, but I'm finally comfortable enough to say I know how to *play* chess, so when it's clear my opponent is not playing in a way which matches any human approach I'm aware of, yeah I'm suspicious that they're not clean. Theory of Mind is my big thing these days, "Is this play consistent with a human thinking about a game of chess, or not." Those random reasonable moves that don't seem to be relevant are the big one, "okay it's engine third but it's not relevant to the human position."

[@josephkeres4604]

Stop.

[@synchronium24]

Hey, Patrick. I've seen you a lot in the St. Louis Chess Club streams. Happy chess.

[@RichACBlues]

I think the red flag is when someone who is a 2200 OTB, is 2700 online and consistently beating super gms at 2900 in money events. Its a little fishy to say the least lol. Hikaru is insane if he is saying they never win money. Of course they do. But as Fabi said its literally human nature to cheat and most people do simply because they can.

[@patrickdaly1088]

@@RichACBlues Five cheaters over 2700, four over $100k, yeah if the risk isn't there, the reward certainly is. Hey there synchronium, good seeing you around again. Happy chess to you too!

[@RichACBlues]

@@patrickdaly1088 I'm still laughing at Fabi saying noone has ever asked him to show his ears, but apparently they ask Hikaru all the time. hahaha.

[@camilohiche4475]

So nobody will comment on how hilariously brilliant it is that they embedded their own reaction screens into the original interview room's picture frame. Also, I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate Fabi's contribution overall: always calm and well thought out, well spoken, well pondered, well mannered, insightful, productive, clear, lucid etc etc etc.........

[@dontvoteforanybody3715]

Cheating 1970s style: When I was a kid, there were always players who seemed to finish in the prize money for the rating-category prizes in the bigger money long-weekend tournaments. "How can they keep winning in their class, yet never advance to the next rating category?" I wondered. It seems they would play in no-entry-fee weekday evening tournaments and lose just enough to keep their rating below the category level, so that when a bigger prize tournament was held they would be able to compete for the class prizes in the class they were just a bit too strong to play in. Could anyone prove that they were deliberately sand-bagging in no-entry-fee tournaments to stay below the (e.g.) 2200 level? No. They could always explain their slightly poorer performance on weekday evenings because they worked during the day and were tired, etc.

[@morniclegreen3534]

Completely agree! I don't think Hikaru is as informed on this issue. There is no need to panic obviously, but you doing nothing about the issue is also not the solution

[@seinundzeiten]

he tends to over-react because his reflexes and mental speed is so fast, the earpiece would slow him down too much

[@smoothheadape6967]

The way Hikaru is dismissing the fact that cheating is a possibility at the highest level is suspicious in itself. Kramnick might be over the board with some of his methodologies and approach but there is substantial merit to his claims of cheating in chess in all levels.

[@RichACBlues]

Absolutely, I think he is worried and flipping out. Ironic because he really ignited the whole discussion of cheating online during the Neiman incident. I think the website refusing to ban headphones in money events is because of him. I still remember when Magnus insisted he have an arbiter in his room for a meltwater tournament which Hikaru was very upset about. he ended up getting smashed in that tournament and vowed never to enter another one. lol.

[@asdf_asdf948]

To be honest I think Hikaru is worried that if Chess becomes associated with a big cheating problem it could a) normalize and worsen the cheating as many people will believe that everyone else is cheating and thus cheat themselves to even the field b) become a less lucrative game for him to stream if it loses popularity due to people losing interest in the game due to widespread cheating

[@RichACBlues]

@@asdf_asdf948 Then why does he smurf for streaming entertainment? lmao. Thats nonsense. He is worried that HE will be seen as a cheater. He is a very selfishguy and you are right, its about the money. But e-sports have always been seen as games for cheating children. If Kramnik didn't exist it online chess will still be facing the same fate regardless. The point is we must take action now.

[@asdf_asdf948]

@@RichACBlues cope

[@RichACBlues]

@@asdf_asdf948 I accept your concession.

[@florin.lupascu]

also, to those who say 'where is the proof', should be said that sometimes the burden of proof required by law is sufficed if you gather multiple and corroborated clues (like prior baning corroborated with statistical data), even if you don't have a direct proof

[@silvervayne8749]

I believe the term is circumstantial evidence.

[@CScott-wh5yk]

Fabi casually acting like he doesn’t know the tech behind implants was brilliant. Throwing Hikaru off the trail.

[@grimmylocked]

Hikaru doesn't understand the mindset of cheaters. Loads of people cheat in videogames without a single incentive. I play some games with an absolutely puny competitive player base, and even then there were cheaters. Compare this to a massive online chess tournament where there are clout points for winning games.

[@chookchookflea]

This clown was long suspected of cheating. At a world cup, some years ago, the organizers sat in the front row taking notes on his body language. The way he increases his level of play on demand is very very suspicious to say the least. Hes the only chess player in history that plays mostly blitz and not only his classical chess doesn't suffer it but gets better . He most likely uses engine help online and over the board. The tournament organizers should increase the security. Because of people like him chess is in peril.

[@atulkrishan7830]

Okay, so now we need hikaru's comment on fabi's comment of hikaru comments on fabi's comment.. 😂😂

[@jopeDE]

Fabis Logic is like a samurai sword

[@abcdefghilihgfedcba]

It’s actually crazy how much protection cheaters get in chess. In all the speedrunning communities I’ve been in, the first time you’re caught cheating you’re wiped off the charts, banned for life (or like 10+ years) and all the information is made public (who cheated, even how they did it which you can argue might be detrimental). And speedrunning is just a hobby with no money most of the time.

[@VjRj84]

Thought the same thing about speedrunning lol. When speedrun forums have more integrity than your whole game, it is time for some changes.

[@thatrespectablehuman1884]

Speedrunning being just a hobby is exactly why the penalties for cheating are so strict.In sports where athlete's livelihoods are on the line they can get sentenced to some slap on the wrist like x number of games played without pay for something heinous like sexual assault

[@hexingon6088]

You can't compare sports and speedrunning. Top chess players gave their life for the game, they start very young and spend hours upon hours studying every day to get to that level, there is no normal childhood or teenage years. For someone to make a decision to cut them out of every competitive event is same as cutting them of from their life. They can't go back to normal life, it's too late for that, and nobody wants to be the one to make such decision, and that's only if you even have 100% proof they cheated in first place. That said i agree that there should be some measures against that maybe if you are under 18 and you cheat, you get a strike and few of those make you lose right to be invited to events, or maybe if you have official title and you cheat it will automatically be removed. Then again are those rules applicable on every platform or just in person. My point is that speedrunning and chess are two completely different things and you can't just randomly make assumptions that if one system works on a hobby it should work on a sport.

[@MrCraigMeighan]

Fabi reacting to Fabi should be called C-Cubed

[@Jordan-ud4qv]

Given it’s Fabi reacting to Hikaru reacting to Fabi shouldn’t it be C^4

[@mememe733]

Opportunity and incentive. Hikaru has to realize how privileged he is as an American. In some countries earning a decent living can be much harder, and the amount of money you can win in chess can go a very long way in terms of supporting yourself and possibly a family. However, as Fabi also noted, incentive is not necessarily money, and sometimes people themselves don’t even understand why they do something they know they shouldn’t. I remember a customer being caught stealing from a grocery store I once worked at. It was a man in his late 40’s, well educated, with a good job, his wife had a high position job as well, and they had no financial problems. Yet he was caught for stealing a bottle of cheap shampoo. He was mortified when caught and very apologetic. He claimed it was the first time he had ever stolen anything, and he simply couldn’t give a reason for why he did it. Some time later a politician (in government) was caught stealing a popsicle from a store and lost his job, along with any future in politics. It certainly wasn’t for any financial gain or for lack of financial resources these crimes were committed. Humans can be capricious creatures and often behave in nonsensical ways 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@synchronium24]

Winona Ryder (in)famously stole from a clothing store when she certainly wasn't hurting for money.

[@RichACBlues]

yes most people cheat simply because they can. Its unfortunate when it comes to online gaming where it is so easy to do so.

[@WarriorssoulB30]

​@@synchronium24 Dont bring this kinda dumb comment to the discussion again. its like saying, Most people had 2 legs, and you said "well i know some people only had one leg". DUH, theres always an exception tf.

[@mememe733]

@@synchronium24 yes, I remember that. Did she ever explain why?

[@mememe733]

@@RichACBlues Well, I would say most cheaters cheat simply because they can.

[@zaftnotameni]

27:45 the missed opportunity to say "I'm not implying, just saying it's INTERESTING"...

[@Gush27]

Yes that joke would have been awesome and definitely isn’t overused 💯

[@mightbefire]

Here's a better idea than whatever's going to happen at the meaningless world championship: A 12-game match between the two highest ranked Americans - Hikaru vs Fabiano. Crown the American champion!

[@costanza2492]

Hikaru’s obviously very intelligent. But it’s surprising to see how poorly he reasons and how stupid his chain of thoughts are. People like Fabi or Magnus are something else. The clarity with which they express their thoughts is enviable

[@polyspastos]

after the introduction of cavity search in 2024 in all major swiss chess events, the game's popularity is soaring again

[@scottwilson940]

There is a lot incentive for this type of cheating. Just going from 2500 to around 2650 a lot of doors would open for tournament invitations. And if the player is a trainer this would greatly enhance his profile.

[@ultrainstinctshaggy669]

Now Hikaru is going to react to The boys reacting to Hikaru's reaction of the interview

[@wot_hog]

It was obvious to me that Fabi meant all of online chess when talking about the $100K prize winnings. Hikaru just didn't listen closely enough.

[@RichACBlues]

Hikaru was being extra defensive and flipping out as if worried about future aggressive measures which I find suspicious. In fact I believe the real reason the website is refusing to ban headphones in money events is because of HIkaru.

[@RichACBlues]

Tell em Fabi!! lol. well said and well done video. It was needed because I can't believe what he saying. I still remember when Magnus insisted HIkaru have an arbiter in his room for a meltwater tournament, Hikaru got severely smashed then vowed to never enter another one again. Such measures are a good deterrent lmao. I think the website's refusal to ban headphones in money events is because of him. I think Kramnik and the current crusade against cheating Has HIkaru visibly worried and upset. And its funny and ironic, because him and Magnus are who started the discussion on the problem of cheating in the first place during the Neiman incident. Oh this is too good. I love it. I think all the smurfing streamers probably cheat. The all, uncoincidentally, have performance ratings online that soar over their otb performances when most players don't.

[@noidegsegom4091]

Hikaru is legit and strong player specially in lower time control fabi has no chance on those formats against Hikaru and many other oline blitz and bullet prodigies . Hikaru is also doing really good in classical chess he might be the WC soon to silence the haters

[@RichACBlues]

@@noidegsegom4091 And how does that negate anything I've said? He still overperforms online regardless of how good he is otb. And I still think he cheats to keep up his online image for his stream.

[@noidegsegom4091]

@@RichACBlues he consistently mating top players within like 0.1 sec how would some one cheat within that time frame lol have some brain I don't know why you wanted hikaru to be a cheater soo bad at least he is doing something with his life unlike you hating on someone without any evidence

[@RichACBlues]

@@noidegsegom4091 Like he has said himself. all it would take is a nod for one move in the game. Its all someone at his level would need.

[@noidegsegom4091]

​@@RichACBlues bro let's say you have a cheat engine and the cheat engine must know the opponent moves to be able to tell you the next move right? but hickaru almost premoves most of his moves including checkmates which shows that he is literally not playing engine moves otherwise he should not pre move specialy end games is where it's hard to play the fact that most of hickaru's pre moves are in end games shows that he literaly not cheating if you have some brains to understand what I'm saying

[@ChingizAbdilov]

This is another strange reaction from Hikaru. The first one was when he tried to convince people that Kramnik is 'crazy', does not understand chess and his stats are invalid. If you get such rare stats (like Hikaru) and you never cheated you probably should be proud of stats(results) and show them everywhere. Instead, he denies them and tries to accuse/making jokes of everyone. The conversation that Hikaru is getting very 'strange' results were around for a while.

[@johnpetrila4823]

I commend C&C for being so comprehensive, level-headed, and clear in their discussion and reasoning here. Especially since this is, understandably, a fraught topic where opinions and convictions on the problem are deeply held and fiercely defended. Cheers!

[@pvdl11]

I am not saying that Vlads accusation of Hikaru being a cheater are true (I think Hikaru is very likely clean), but these weird arguments by Hikaru re how its not possible /not very easy to cheat is exactly how a cheater would argue. Or a cheater would say you cant do anything about it and if you are this suspicious just stop the whole thing (i.e. if you question if people are cheating, then lets just stop playing altogether=emotional blackmail/trying to squash a topic). Not saying Hikaru is cheating, just that the way he argues is exactly how a cheater would argue (i.e. deny that cheating is easy or say that if it is lets just stop playing altogether). Probably he is just frustrated about the situation, but he shouldnt just have his head in the sand how easy it is to cheat. Its an unintentionally bad look as thats how a cheater would argue.

[@alex47775]

He may also argue like a cheater because Kramink's accusations touched him apparently more deeply than he let's us to know, so he wants to further push away the posibilities of people taking Kramnik's accusations seriously by implying that the spectrum of cheating isn't that big as Kramink or other chess players say that it is.

[@RichACBlues]

Exactly. Erik the ceo of the website refuses to ban headphones in money events claiming time delays make it pointless. Which stunned me because that is so easy to circumvent from someone's home that I think the real reason is that HIkaru is flipping out over such measures. I still remember when Magnus insisted an arbiter be in hikaru's room for a meltwater tournament and hikaru got smashed and vowed never to enter another one again. lmao.

[@RichACBlues]

@@alex47775 Like MVL said in his podcast with Kramnik, he should take it as a compliment for playing so well and laught it off as most honest players would do. Why would he even be worried of people thinking he cheats. In fact, LIke MVl and Kramnik said they would love all their stats go public and analyzed as much as possible for the world to see. I think the response by the website over his stats was very suspicious. 55,000 games in 10 years explains five 50 game win streaks in the span of 30 days all with historic performance ratings for online play? hell no.

[@alex47775]

@@RichACBlues The same Magnus who played with his headphones on his ears aswell?

[@RichACBlues]

@@alex47775 Magnus did not use headphones in the SCC. Not even alireza did, only HIkaru after he blundered against Fabiano. If Magnus is using them in titled tuesday, then yes it should not be allowed even for Magnus. he might be cheating. absolutely bud and I'm sure he would not argue otherwise.

[@gustavoescuderocanalantigu1491]

The difference between a reaction (Hikaru's) and an analysis (Fabiano's).

[@benjaminmorrismusic]

At the end of the day, Hikaru has always struck me as someone who isn't incredibly intelligent, but is incredibly good at Chess. Fabi is someone who is both - incredibly intelligent and incredibly good at Chess. Whilst they would be very equal when it comes to playing chess, when it comes to evaluating life's many nuances, I would always trust in Fabi's opinion over Hikaru.

[@RichACBlues]

Fabiano is also more trustworthy too, which is why they ask HIkaru to show his ears but not Fabi lol. And I highly suspect the reason the website is refusing to ban headphones in money events, is because of HIkaru.

[@johannsnowy]

I gotta admit, reading this caught me off guard, but without wanting it to sound like an insult, judging by this comment your either not incredibly intelligent yourself (or just too young).

[@RichACBlues]

@@johannsnowy I think its not incredibly intelligent by the website to let their streamers smurf for entertainment, or to refuse banning headphones in money events because they think a time delay stops anything. smh...

[@benjaminmorrismusic]

@@johannsnowy that's right, yeah. I'm really thick and I'm only 9 years old.

[@jmwvirgil]

The concern is 100% being sued. Not even because of the money, but because they would have to show in court how they catch people, and then people could scrutinised prior bans.

[@RichACBlues]

and the fact they literally can't prove anyone cheated without a doubt. But as many are saying and as Erik, the Ceo has been saying, They can just change their contract to literally do whatever they want. The only thing they can't then do is pubicly expose someone to avoid any potential legal issues, bu8t they can ban someone at 80% probability if it was their prerogative at that point. The real reason they don't is because more accounts means more money from investors or advertisers and potential subscribers.

[@dadakma]

Great reaction by Fabi, completely destroyed a lot of Higatys arguments

[@sreekanth7223]

When Hikaru reacts to this then we go deeper into inception

[@pavkal6603]

The Limbo. 😂😂😂Nolan taught us that

[@xDEEZKNIGHTSx]

Hikaru tells it like it is, but 10x over. 😂

[@kohnr3381]

creating hype, drama and therefore his videos is for Hikaru more important than chess. Money above everything.

[@KarlMarxBR700]

I think Hikaru doesn't realize how many cheaters are out there because he is a fucking 3250+ player, he is one of the few people that EVEN cheaters sometimes can't beat.

[@TheSlithice]

Like Hikaru said in the video, are those 2 people on average cheating against Fabiano or Kramnik just doing it to make them mad? Whats the point of cheating one time in an event and never winning any prize money. We should be seeing bad title players regularly win events online if the cheating really was rampant.

[@rohan1864]

they "can't" beat him because it would require them to cheat to a degree at which it'd be too apparent

[@scottwilson940]

Beating two of the greatest players of all time would be one reason. Money is not the driving issue in everything.

[@RichACBlues]

@@TheSlithice Like Fabi said in the video, its human nature not to want to lose. And many players do cheat to win money, Hikaru claiming otherwise is ludicrous lmao. But I've been gaming online for almost 30 years and most people cheat simply because they can.

[@johnquach9925]

I wish they both sit down and clear the air.

[@Prometheus4096]

A GM losing vs a 1900 because the 1900 is legitimately playing at 1900 and the GM is just having a really bad game, or a GM losing vs a 1900 because they are using Stockfish and playing at GM strength, you would think there would be a difference between those two cases.

[@billj4525]

Well a 1900 can definitely play above 1900 level by quite a bit for one game as well. That said, the odds of a 1900 beating a grandmaster is extremely low regardless of how well he plays or how bad the grandmaster plays. Obviously there is a big difference between the 2 cases you mentioned.

[@leodii6441]

hikaru is one of the worst representatives of- and people in chess and nobody can convince me otherwise

[@TandemKnights]

I love what you are doing here, don't let Hikaru's voice be the only one that is heard. In general, I like Hikaru but I think he as said some very suspect things in the past and I really appreciate this detailed clarification and fact-checking. I'd invite him back to the podcast for a special edition "reaction of the reaction discussion". LOL

[@mikecroke6078]

What great way to spend my Saturday morning!

[@swolejszo]

Speaking as someone who does not play chess for money and does online chess for fun - yes, some people do cheat even when there is no cash incentive to do so. I run into those types more often than I would like. And not all of them (from from it) are detected by anti-cheating algorithms that are in place.

[@zyabayz101]

Good discussion. One specific thing Hikaru questioned was Fabi's apparent implication that on average, he faces two cheaters (in 11 games) in Titled Tuesday events. He thought that a max of around one would be more plausible. .

[@StarryNightGazing]

oh man hikaru's speech patterns are unbearable.

[@tobiass3540]

I mean, it's pretty clear, that for OTB tournaments there have to be anti-cheating measures. And it's also it's pretty clear, that online chess seems very unlikely to ever be cheating-free. For online tournaments which have high prize money involved, playing the final round or final two rounds OTB would make sense, if it's possible. I don't think online chess can ever be as "safe" as OTB chess. Another way to handle it: My chess club was plaiyng online tournaments during the pandemic, but we would gather together in our chess club and there was a licensed arbiter at our chess club, while the players were playing at laptops. At least for tournaments with big prize money this should be possible.

[@RichACBlues]

You need arbiters in the rooms with wands sweeping the rooms and body as the final solution for the very high money events. LIke when Magnus insisted an arbiter be in Hikaru's room for a meltwater tournament which he then got smashed in and vowed never to enter again lmao...

[@chadmacgargle5311]

The cheating is gambling motivated. Players cheating like the discussion suggests if a problem but most often the cheating comes in through fixed games. Chess players are in position to be easily corrupted; relationship oriented, taken in at a young age, financial dependant, and in debt to a benefactor. It's nothing for a former sponsor to call a player and say "hey if you play Fabi in titled Tuesday today I need you to win." And the player sets the engine to 2750 and plays a completely human and crushing piece of calculation to win. Over the board it's a little different, but online chess has absolutely no creditability. FIDE has questionable credibility. We enjoy chess, but only when it's authentic. So thanks to everyone who turns in honest games. And to everyone who doesn't, you're trash and you know that.

[@karlcardona8381]

Wow, very eye-opening stuff. Thanks for this video.

[@mikemck4796]

It’s odd to me how closed the chess community seems to be. The best place to look to see “whats possible” given money is on the line is cheating in and around casinos. There’s no place where more energy is put forward to cheat, and catch cheaters. If you don’t think people will go to particular lengths, just do some research.

[@florin.lupascu]

search > japanese mini headphones and button hidden camera > and you realise a headphone is impossible to detect unless somebody search the inner ear... also the on body device has a button to cut the signal to headphones and this way becomes impossible to be detected by anti-cheating detection devices... by body language and lie detecting experience (I work in justice system) I would guess Hikaru himself cheated at some time

[@sarvan8269]

Hikaru never cheated stop being delusional😊

[@dontvoteforanybody3715]

Being a successful cheater - one who doesn't get caught - is a challenge in itself. It's like solving a chess puzzle. For someone who is motivated by challenge and adrenaline, it must be a big temptation to see if they can figure out a way to cheat and not get caught. Don't need prize money of rating boost to get the thrill.

[@alon3304]

Hikaru response video to this will create an infinite loop

[@jameslazer819]

I think Fide should have a code of conduct for titled players that removes titles from players cheating online.

[@anuragdhondge9579]

Fabi reacting to Hikaru reacting to Fabi

[@jryer1]

On this occasion I actually think Hikaru may have this one wrong. What we call paranoia today may actually be a reality soon or perhaps is already happening. We know prisoners in some prisons are forced to get implants, so it's not too far fetched to think it could happen in Chess.

[@onepoundsteaks1215]

I have a theory, it might be wrong. In the world championship game Ding vs Nepo, Fabi says a2 is super winning here. Whilst Tania and Hess were super enthused, Fabi sounded sad. To me anyway. Now that obviously might be because thats the way he expresses himself or the fact hed been commentating for 7 hours. But could the third possibilty be he had an inkling something was amiss? Ding found some superhuman moves in that game and to continue playing on in that final rapid game was so brave.

[@lollycopter]

Are you referring to the final rapid tie-break where Ding played 67...a2? Fabi wasn't sad, he was just expressing shock and sadness for Nepo that the game suddenly turned so quickly after a remarkable 46...Rg6 self-pin by Ding. This isn't necessarily because Fabi was wanting any player in particular to win, but he clearly saw Nepo's reaction and empathised with him in that moment. You'll hear Tania's voice and emotion after Nepo finally resigns too - it's just commentators feeling normal human emotions on behalf of both players. I'm not sure what your theory is exactly but I don't think your assessment is correct. It's just normally how Fabi commentates. I would have done the same thing regarding Nepo's hopeless position, even though I wanted to see Ding win.

[@Hungry883]

The drama is good for the channel unironically,keep it up

[@FlowerBoyWorld]

i mean, tigran l petrosian is playing events, he played world rapid and blitz 2022, that was "only" 2 years after he cheated against wesley. how come? should that be ok?

[@SteadyPlaying]

Upvoting just for the Dunning-Kruger callout! lmao great stuff!

[@alinaor29]

damn, it's hard to look at three screens

[@FPITAS]

So... You're not a serious chess player are you?

[@pavkal6603]

Imagine Hikaru reacting to this 😂😂😂😂😂

[@alinaor29]

@@pavkal6603 HE DID😩

[@hellostranger2012]

Reaction Inception indeed😂. Loved how you & Fabi are up on the frame😂

[@NotTheMaestro]

When I first played in a chess tournament (age 13) I ended up playing a guy who was a known ‘ringer’. He was way stronger than the category but he played on the circuit and kept his rating low. Top prize was maybe £200, maybe even less, so it’s not big money given it was over 3 days but he went around entering lots of these competitions in the lowest category.

[@johnlicciardello2389]

Amazing that this a video of Fabi reacting to Naka reacting to Fabi - all talking about cheating, and no one talks about Han’s “BEADS”.

[@aliboubes3336]

Hikaru point about why would someone cheat is stupid

[@Ryanmuniverse]

lol you guys did the same thing the original podcast with fabi and this guy did. Why does what u put in the intro pop back up again just a few mins into the podcast? Why do you even put the intro in the first place?

[@DDP-Gaming]

Chess-ception is confusing yet amazing ain't it

[@u.v.s.5583]

Hikaru will post a Kramnik picture over the screen and react to this reaction to the reaction.

[@Kapil_Choudhary]

This is just an excellent interview from Fabi. Well thought out & justifying his opinion. I think among other things, the biggest difference of opinion between Fabi & Hikaru is that Hikaru believes (or at least claims) that if players are just forced to have a 2-camera setup, all is fine with the world of online chess. Thats why he feels there are some issues with titled tuesdays, but everything else is clean, and keeps referring primarily to titled tuesdays in cheating discussions. Fabi on the hand believes, and he explained why, that even cameras and room-sweeps etc are close to pointless (not completely pointless, but close to it).

[@youtubecensoringcomments7427]

Hikaru a spectacular hypocrite. The first one to imply hanns Niemann cheated in the sinquefield cup

[@studynot757]

Chess-ception If we go too many layers, reality will collapse

[@daytonagreg8765]

Dear Hikaru, implants exist. I have one with a “programmable remote” (NOT FOR CHESS). I can reconfigure the implanted device to do almost anything. I can upgrade the software. It can buzz me with a variety of patterns however I’d want to do it. Someone is DEFINITELY doing it. Why? Because it’s possible, and humans are not angels.

[@AnHonestDoubter]

39:11 most court cases are decided with *circumstantial* evidence, not *direct* evidence.