Hans Niemann's Solution ♔ The Chess “Cheating” Scandal Explained

[@qqw743]

A clarification: there was nothing "serious" about the anal beads sideline. How that became a thing: Eric Hansen of Chessbrah fame was discussing the scandal while streaming, and one of his fans wrote in chat "Maybe he was using anal beads." Eric sarcastically said something like "sure, he was using anal beads." A clickbait newspaper pretended that this was a real theory and published it. Then, more mainstream newspapers reposted it. That's when people like Elon Musk saw it and made jokes about it. Who knows, maybe that's Niemann's system, but that's how the public became aware of the idea.

[@los1wochos]

I am sure elon was 110% serious.

[@qqw743]

@@los1wochos He's an odd dude and I don't fully understand him but this time he was completely entertained and sarcastic

[@milodakilo]

Eric Hansen wasn't joking or sarcastic, he's 110% anal beads expert certified

[@danishcupcake921]

Re. the anal beads cheating: Its a quite wellknown chess method amongst us in the LBGTQ-community. We most enjoy chess when its playes 'Hans Niemann style' w. transmitting anal beads. Actually, we often skip the chess and go directly to the Niemann' ;- )

[@Average_CoD_Clips]

@@los1wochos I’m sure AoC is serious about White Supremacy being a problem in our country. So sure, that I think she’s even dating a pasty ass lookin white dude.

[@feedingfrenzy4961]

I would add that some people also suspect him of cheating because he apparently gave a bad analysis of his own match. This led people to believe that he must've cheated somehow if he was able to play so well while seemingly not being able to adequately explain why he chose the moves he did.

[@martinberrigan2462]

This was intricately what threw me off.We have come from Chess disappearing after Karpov and Kasparov amazing duels in chess in the past.Then we have Hikaru a Genius of analysis reinvigorating interest in the game of Chess with personal contact with his following such a Real approach, bar none I had no idea who Magnus was and it might have even been the Botez Sister's that led me to Hikaru,no biggie let's move on,and then massive coverage of Chess and the main action after a game is the analysis,for some reason all these G.M's,they're brilliance at the game becomes fully aware to us,they can explain every move they make up until a mistake a blunder,but when Han's a supposed brilliant G.M was asked to analize his game it had the substance of interviewing a 4 year old on the process of putting milk in a Fruit Loop bowl,then the Fruit Loop bowl falls off the table and the kid takes a tantrum in his defence that he did not knock the Fruit Loop bowl off the table,or did he haha!.

[@sqoo5]

I mean saying Carlsen made these moves before and you happened to practice for it, when Carlsen never even did this seems rightly suspicious.

[@chrisdawson1776]

@@martinberrigan2462🤓

[@CollectorsFix]

I will give Hans the benefit of the doubt. It is highly unlikely that someone will come out so dominant after being away for so long, but not impossible. I recall that some had accused Anna Rudolf of cheating with a lipstick simply because she was beating people that she shouldn't be betting at her level, so I'll hold off on accusing Hans until serious evidence is provided.

[@tatbaz1]

Niemann is a cheat we know that for a fact . It seems that he lied about it too. Some people are trying to make out hes some kind of hero now. I dont think hes hero and I find it hard to give him any benefit of the doubt .

[@thepigproductivity]

@@tatbaz1 when he was 12 years old and on unrated online chess when he was 16. But he’s admitted to that and that level of cheating hardly holds a candle to what is accused here.

[@tatbaz1]

@@thepigproductivity Hans performance rating at dgt liveboard tournaments is around 2850 . Without dgt he performs at arounx 2300 . Get the picture yet?

[@Spacetech3000]

I thought the same till they actually played out the game. A 5 time world champ getting not beat but obliterated

[@smartfck4]

@@thepigproductivity stop making things up..hans was already beating hikaru and MVL at faster time controls where it's impossible to cheat because of time pressure.

[@ibji]

I have a younger sister, when she was about 5, I wanted to teach her how to play chess. I said to her, "The object of the game is to capture the opponent's king." She said "OK, on your mark, get set, go" and grabbed my king off the board, big smile on her face. I was like....good game.....

[@sorellman]

Indeed, this video is trash. One cannot explain genius. Because of that, one assumes things, then the people take the assumption as fact.

[@PhilomathBret]

Hopefully you learned the actual rules and object of chess before you taught anybody else lol

[@lukeroche993]

"Even in chess not everything is black and white" that line is magnificent and made me smile. Love the calm coverage of both sides, in the end no one should pick a side till we have the full statement from magnus.

[@AS-yi1gj]

I totally agree.

[@TheTutch]

I disagree. To me as long as Magnus doesn't produce any evidence there is only Niemanns side to pick. Can't go around throwing dirt and hoping it sticks...

[@lukeroche993]

@@TheTutch that's the thing. I don't think picking Hans side just because magnus hasn't made a statement yet is fair for either side. Realistically magnus needs to have actual proof or at the very least some explanation as to why he left because at this point the world isn't just gonna take him at his word. That's why i say taking sides atm is just wrong because why choose a side before you know what you're choosing.

[@TheTutch]

@@lukeroche993 yeah and my point is for now we know what we are chosing. Magnus hasn't backed up his accusation by anything. For now its just slander

[@LG-bi1sr]

@@TheTutch LMAO, use your brain

[@BushFries]

You left out some very strong evidence against Hans in his post-game analysis after his game vs Alireza where he seemingly couldn't justify the moves he made. Alireza, a 2700 rated player was "Amazed" at the moves Hans made against him. Also the fact that in that review, the ~2300 rated interviewer was able to more accurately analyze the position than Hans was.

[@kingstarscream3807]

Bro, there are only 64 squares on a chess board. The game isn't that complicated. It's not exactly Starcraft.

[@christophervennix9861]

@@kingstarscream3807 I'm guessing this was sarcasm. Still let me try and put some big numbers in context for you. If you saved $10,000 per day since the day the pyramids were built to today you would have less around $1,500,000,000 (1.5 billion dollars or a 10 digit number). A truly gigantic number to wrap your head around. Now consider the number of possibilities in a chess game. Mathematicians estimate that there are approximately 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (a 110 digit number). Chess is beyond complicated.

[@official_alphabet_inc]

@@christophervennix9861 He got ONE thing right tho - I'll give him that.. Starcraft is more complicated.

[@jonniekay4731]

@@christophervennix9861 Chess is about pattern recognition, memorizing openings, variations and positions that reoccur. Most good players eliminate the 'naff' moves and concentrate only on reocurring patterns and positions. So to say there are so many possible combinations in actual play is vastly innacurate.

[@soapimie2665]

@@jonniekay4731 I'm assuming you're joking, if not you're making a big fool outta yourself if you believe that.

[@firstandlast.1254]

Even knowing nothing about chess, I've found this entire saga to be completely captivating!

[@ASMRChess]

Hopefully this video can serve as an overview :)

[@firstandlast.1254]

@@ASMRChess seeing as how it's an ASMR Chess video, I'll be watching it at least a dozen times. If that doesn't get me caught up, nothing will!

[@theantinatalismzone392]

If you know nothing about chess then you don't understand the case

[@firstandlast.1254]

@@theantinatalismzone392 well that's just not at all correct. Also, get bent.

[@theantinatalismzone392]

@@firstandlast.1254 You are good at English not sarcasm

[@RandoPandaSmiles]

Would’ve been nice to hear how Hans had been caught cheating in the past. An important part of his character history that was glossed over.

[@7ascon]

Wasn't it online though? I'd be curious if he cheated in a live match. Seems to be a very complicated task to attempt in a live match, quite unlikely in my view.

[@UserName-hr5wb]

@@7ascon yeah online

[@bluegamer4210]

​@@7ascon it's really not complicated to cheat over the board there a youtuber in the chess community (forgot the name) who made a cheating device in 1h he explained how it can be done and how it works

[@KeatonAnderson]

Holy crap you should make way more chess mini-docs like this, your writing is excellent! Last line especially! :)

[@TransparentEclipse]

I have not followed professional chess in over a year, but this was literally one of the most captivating videos I have ever watched. Your writing, your storytelling, your voice, wow. This video is gold. How do I like a video twice

[@mooncalf_4534]

Press the button twice

[@27k3u4]

the storytelling who starts with an accusation of who is guilty...well fuck this shit

[@marksmit8112]

Very convincing but very fallacious

[@michaelscott5653]

Wow, had no idea about the business side of this story. This is probably the most informative video on the scandal. Excellent job!

[@1littlecoder]

This is an excellent piece of work, editing, voice over - top notch documentary - especially your ending - "Even in Chess, not everything is Black and White" This is brilliant!

[@BirchinthewoodsASMR]

I've followed this story and tournament religiously the past week, and this was an excellent well-written, narrated and visually put together mini-documentary. The historic parallels and curious asides like Niemann being a "nobody", the facts of the matter and the human aspect tied so interestingly together in an historic true chess crime case. I do wonder how everything will play out and if we will ever get a satisfactory end to the saga ...

[@ASMRChess]

Fascinating isn’t it? To anyone reading along this comment Birch actually also makes ASMR Chess content that you can go check out :)

[@BirchinthewoodsASMR]

@@ASMRChess Thanks, dude ;) Just saw that Hans and Magnus are scheduled to play again later this month, so hopefully you'll get material for a part 2!

[@BirchinthewoodsASMR]

@@mcookiewmonsta2 Oh, you're right of course! My German's admittedly rusty, but the etymology of nobody/no man/never man seems close enough to be curious nonetheless :)

[@AV-we6wo]

@@BirchinthewoodsASMR The 'nie' in the name Niemann looks like the word nie=never, but it's actually a Northern German variant/dialect form of 'neu', meaning new. So Niemann would be 'the new man', not a nobody. Niemann and Neumann are quite common names in Germany, like Newman in English speaking countries. Edit: typos

[@BirchinthewoodsASMR]

@@AV-we6wo Consider me educated, thanks :)

[@highlanderes]

The simplest practical explanation, apart from Hans being great at chess, is that he got a tip on the opening. Magnussen got flustered by that possibility and played a sub optimal game. The likelihood of having been betrayed by a friend (or a bug in a room), with the magnitude of this outcome, would be maddening to most people, and more so for Magnus with the position he holds.

[@et873]

Interesting. Maybe someone will come forward. That’s still considered cheating.

[@perpetualbystander4516]

*magnusitude 😉

[@Jroychow]

Isn't that still cheating?

[@nickpatella1525]

Who would he have told the opening to? Do people discuss their openings with others before playing?

[@malcolmabram2957]

If I was a top class chess player, regarding what my choice of opening would be, I would keep my mouth shut. One possibility is seconds leaking the intelligence, that is if Carlsen uses seconds.

[@iamNathanGreen]

Bro you turned this into an epic movie script. You managed to bring this info with a combination of smart lines, a good voice, and a refreshing opinion compared to other chess KZbinrs. Excellent video man, I subscribed. That ending line sums it up perfectly ''even in chess, not everything is black and white''.

[@MinimalEncourager]

This is a work of art. You told a story of two personalities in completely different stages in their life, and how their life's goals clash. You emphasized the human in a way that was beautiful. Also, your accent, your delivery, and your audio production are gorgeous. Glad I got to listen.

[@kekkler]

This is well made. I can share this even with my non chess familiar friends that are hearing about this situation. Super easy to digest, informative and with proper weighting of the stakes for Hans and Magnus to top it off.

[@ASMRChess]

please do :D and thanks

[@ProMace]

I showed this to my Shih Tzu and he asked for a replay! 🐶

[@richardkalmwater5996]

So Hans passes the body inspection for cheating devices, plays #4 player in the world to a draw. So why does this not show Hans is playing high level chess? Instead....more accusations of cheating without evidence.

[@thatsprettyneat8422]

I had heard about this and came straight here for the explanation, can't wait to hear your take on how this unfolds as time goes by!

[@XIIchiron78]

This is by far the best coverage of this whole thing on the internet

[@veralnox457]

I would still question how a guy already banned for cheating just happened to beat the reigning world champion of over 10 years claiming that he randomly looked up and studied to perfection the exact opening the champ played the very morning of the day that the champ played it. Furthermore, he defended his claim by citing a game that could not be proven to have happened. Lance Armstrong got away with cheating for years before he was caught, and I just think Hans found a clever way to cheat the system after being caught trying multiple times prior.

[@ASMRChess]

this is a very likely explanation. We don't have any proof though and if Hans is in fact innocent he will get the chess equivalent of a death sentence.

[@dansmart3182]

He cited a game from 2020, the game was really from 2021. Also he didn't get caught cheating over the board, which would be the system he would be trying to cheat.

[@gto433]

It's probably just me but Hans face looks like a scammer .... there's something about his face lmao

[@pappaflammyboi5799]

@@ASMRChess This comment doesn't make sense. You don't get a "death" sentence for being innocent.

[@JohnDoe-ti2np]

Nigel Short found a game between Carlsen and So (just as Niemann said) which reached a very similar position (via transposition of moves) to the position in the Carlsen-Niemann game. The Carlsen-So game was from Kolkata 2019 not London 2018, but that seems like a minor mistake.

[@lightstrider6497]

This was so incredibly well done. I didn't know a video could possibly be so excellent. You very well might have hit 2900 elo rating in video storytelling.

[@AndrewMaxVaca]

Voice is brutal

[@null.dev.]

Ye, the drop in the water instead of ocean was pretty rad. Go Danes.

[@jotarokujo5132]

excellent? it is one-sided garbage, defending a cheater.

[@apollo0583]

@@jotarokujo5132 What the fuck?He was against Hans Niemann

[@izzyglizzy1939]

@@AndrewMaxVaca Voice is why I got here. But regardless, was going to post that - it really is appreciated that they have good depth in this video to see both sides as transparent as available so I agree.

[@marthalea876]

Not only is your documentary the clearest, it is also the most measured, fair, and thorough appraisal of the events unfolding so far. Well done, and thank you.

[@sckirbyc1]

Anyone suggesting that Magnus is solely at fault is ignoring the FACT this kid has cheated just a few years ago. This video is biased.

[@FormostPanda]

@@sckirbyc1 The kid was a kid.

[@drich1s]

@@FormostPanda exactly. Ones past doesn’t define who they are today. That’s true with felons, that’s true with everyone. Let the one without any faults in their past cast the first stone.

[@drich1s]

Agreed. Well done.

[@kyvss]

@@sckirbyc1 how is the video biased when the entire first part is explaining when and how niemann cheated? you are an instigator, grow up.

[@wilhelmtaylor9863]

Back in the 70's I played in a tournament in Colorado Springs and ended up facing the then Colorado chess champion. I don't know if I was lucky of if he was not paying attention but I won that game and ended up with an 1837 afterwards. It can happen. We shook hands and I recall thinking that he was the better player.

[@malcolmabram2957]

Absolutely. Paul Keres, the soviet grandmaster in the 60s, said that chess mirrors life. He said (not to quote) that no one is in complete control of a game. Just because someone has a much higher ELO grading does not mean that they will every game against lower rated players. Unexpected things happen on the board, even for the greatest.

[@christiantaboada]

The thing is, Niemann won countering to perfection a very obscure opening move after move, and he couldn't even describe what he did. He could play a perfect game, but could not describe his own analysis of what he did? Even claiming that by some sort of miracle saw that opening that day or the day prior. Something is clearly off.

[@malcolmabram2957]

@@christiantaboada Good point.

[@christiantaboada]

@@malcolmabram2957 That being said, my statement doesn't prove anything though. While unlikely, the current reality is that Niemann won until someone proves he actually cheated in that game. I'm not taking sides at all here, and It's sad that Niemann has a record of cheating several times (many games with 100% chess engine accuracy which not even the likes of Kasparov could achieve) and at just 19 years old, highly unlikely. Also sad that Carlsen has dropped a hint of cheating with his twitter statement without anything to back it up. As a champion in the sport he has a responsibility to not act sour if he has no concrete proof. I understand that he might see things a normal player wouldn't (like patterns of high end AI like since he plays against AI too), and he hasn't made any official accusations yet, but still he is throwing shade to a rookie because, even the best can be insecure and get emotional sometimes.

[@Frip36]

@Victor Focsa Forcsa: "Magnus lost in the past, he is not a 15y crybaby. He is 100% that Hans is cheater otherwise he wouldn t do this." Yes.

[@ethanwilliamson8949]

Thank you for actually explaining this all so clearly. Other chess channels have been just been a bunch of hyperbolic shouting and I’ve been as confused as before.

[@jimmytclem]

I ended up here from a newer video analysing hans' play against a chess engine. They determined that there are MANY games where Hans has picked the most optimal move for every move in a game. That puts him with many 100% optimal games (note these are 25+ move matches)whereas the great BF never played any game at 100%. Even in the days of correspondence chess, the world champion was around 75-80% optimal. This is just another rabbit hole I've fallen into, but statistically... This guy's play is impossible.

[@DellikkilleD]

@@jimmytclem No. improbable. If the limits are 'no one has ever done this' then we cant advance? Innovate and evolve. If he is a cheat, where is evidence other then 'he plays too perfectly' You must see how that's not how things work right?

[@kammckinney4856]

You told this story in the most interesting, yet objective way possible. Been watching for a long time. Happy to see you grow

[@jotarokujo5132]

lol @ objective

[@stellezen]

I'm basically a casual bystander, only watching chess in passing (mostly because of following this channel since your second or third video) and never getting deep into the community or anything like that. It's absolutely bizarre to hear about something like this. Chess is such a storied and historic game in my eyes, that the gravity of all this feels so much more intense than any other sport, compounded by the whole business and monetary aspect of everything. I'm really glad I waited to dive into anything about this until you put out a video on it, because I figured something of this caliber would be something you'd jump on pretty quickly. Thank you for such a well thought-out, yet still timely upload!

[@sitikini4508]

Yes, this is EXACTLY what i needed. Ty so much for your hard work and high quality videos. Your videos speak for themselves.

[@gerdscotch]

After I heard the news I tried watching a bunch of videos about this story and they were all extremely unhelpful. This video, however, was extremely helpful! Super in depth and insightful, and as always, relaxing! Great job!

[@samuelvoas2861]

I love this chronicle of the recent “scandal.” Only issue I have with it is the last line. This really is black and white. Either Hans cheated or he didn’t. There is no in between when it comes to cheating.

[@terryriley6410]

I think what he meant is "without concrete evidence it's not possible to give a black and white answer and so people shouldn't commit to such a thing".

[@rtyfox1560]

My favorite thing about all of your videos is your ability to tell stories. Chess usually feels technical and mathematic, so I love your ability to bring out the personality in each subtle detail. This is a really tough situation, because in such a serious tournament, it would be difficult to hide any direct cheating, so making such a consequential decision without proof doesn’t make sense. At the same time though, the entire situation is too convenient to not have any amount of foul play. I just don’t think it’s plausible that a small chess player with a history of cheating happened to study an offbeat opening that Magnus has never played before.

[@noThankyou-g5c]

people study novelties all the time before. And the novelty hans studied was on move 4! There really were only a few options he could’ve even looked at

[@mattc3581]

As Nigel Short has pointed out, Magnus played Wesley So in a game actually in 2019 in Kolkata which was a g3 Nimzo apparently very similar to this line. He could easily have been looking through past Magnus games and noticed this and gone through looking at similar lines and alternatives since it was something he didn't know much about. The fact he remembered it a year off and a different tournament isn't exactly a biggy, he probably went through a load of games from a load of years and places fairly quickly. Good players, especially ones born in the era of godlike computer engines probably need a talent for looking at computer lines and memorising them instantly. I was sceptical originally, but on finding this I feel it actually backs up his story of just lucking into looking at the right line that morning. If he was cheating he wouldn't have been able to come back and quote a Magnus game (including knowing the opponent and approximate year) that fitted the scenario at all. If you were cheating surely you would just say you studied the line sometime recently, why would you ever make up and quote a game that you knew didn't exist knowing it could be instantly checked?

[@jaimenicolasalcalde6390]

@@mattc3581 I think that he explained where he saw that on in the 2nd interview. So he had time to look it up and be prepared for what he was about to say

[@jonathancoleman5760]

Even if Mags was betrayed and they told Hans his strategy What advantages does Hans gain after Mags realizes? Hans still played the rest of the match brilliantly and he is continuing to play like a man worthy of his chess title. Mags on the other hand continues to plead the 5th and act like a scared little girl.

[@astrinymris9953]

@@jonathancoleman5760 No, Mags is acting like a wealthy and entitled white man who can't believe that he lost a contest to someone he feels superior to, and therefore is convinced is opponent must have cheated, despite the complete absence of any evidence of wrongdoing. The only difference between Magnus Carlsen and Donald Trump is that Carlsen hasn't attempted to instigate an insurrection.

[@emilerhard4189]

Great to see how well this video is doing. You are still way to underrated for being one of the best Asmartist on the platform

[@LaginLog]

This is an incredibly well put together video summing up this event. And I really enjoyed how level headed and informative it was.

[@XxOffTonexX]

This definitely felt biased against the World Champion. Hans (at the time of this video) was already a caught cheater, and had over 20 games with 100% accuracy. He also had the highest accuracy of any player to date by a wide margin. But lacks the mental power to explain his moves in interviews and gets outplayed by chess interviewers who are trying to understand his thought process. How anyone comes to the conclusion that this kid is a "chess prodigy" and not just a really good cheater is crazy. No this isn't the end of Magnus, and yes Hans probably cheated and has been cheating and if allowed will continue to cheat.

[@seven-yo8lr]

This is great content, especially well-written, and put together so quickly. Can't wait for the next instalment

[@lightstrider6497]

This might very well be the most perfectly executed video I've ever seen on KZbin. I'm honestly flabbergasted by the quality.

[@BigChonk279]

Fantastic and balanced analysis of both sides of the allegations. Easily the best video on the subject I’ve seen to date.

[@LuisAlvarez-zk1go]

Unfortunately if someone cheated twice, is more likely he cheated again instead of divine intervention.

[@official_alphabet_inc]

Moron math 101.

[@corpseinthesky6111]

7:03 "Upon investigation no such game could be found", it has though. As Nigel Short pointed out: "M, Carlsen - W, So, Kolkata 2019. This is a g3 Nimzo, by transposition. The fact that Hans Niemann could not recall whether this game was played in London, Kolkata or Ouagadougou, is proof of absolutely nothing to my mind. Playing the World Champion is not a a geography quiz."

[@Tonytony019]

Yeah I thought it was weird everyone ignores the transposition he brought up. I have no idea what that means but if its incorrect you'd expect the bunch to jump on it. Buts it been largely ignored.

[@corpseinthesky6111]

@@Tonytony019 reading other comments it seems that most of the viewers aren’t following chess news at all so I’m not surprised it hasn’t been pointed out much

[@metadegen]

The odds? One game out of 100,000s.? How did Hans know to study that game? Odds are very very not.in his favor

[@CaiusCoriolan]

I’m a big fan of your channel mostly for the ASMR content. However, I must admit I was positively amazed by this video, both for the quality of the information/exhaustiveness provided, as for the balanced analysis you make out of it. You made the whole scandal very clear to understand, and captivating to listen to until the very end ! Once again, big congrats and thank you for your content 😊

[@ASMRChess]

Thank you so much!

[@sandman75sandman97]

@@ASMRChess Your content is really shallow. Worst bull sh.. ever made.

[@ShowToddSomeLove]

I've been waiting for you to talk about this incident since I first heard of it

[@kingtokkii]

i really hope you’ll make a follow up video once more info comes out! i don’t know anything about chess but this was so interesting

[@ASMRChess]

I will

[@TWW-zk9gw]

The analysis of Neiman's tournaments with and without the presence of live dgt broadcasts is quite fascinating. Whenever dgt broadcasts the games live, Hans gains masses of points. But whenever there's no live transmission be loses loads of points. It's very odd.

[@btspyglass4077]

Hans quoted a game never played and in a Line rarely played Then couldn't explain it himself Hans has a history But until someone can figure out how there is nothing to be done Hikaru has been maligned

[@asmrsplinter636]

I’m not defending Hans, but Magnus has played the Catalan quite a bit recently and Magnus has played this line more than once…it transposes to another line Magnus has played just different move order and Hans mentions this in a follow up interview. Once again, not defending Hans, but we need to keep facts straight and be fair.

[@nickromano3087]

THIS i swear I've seen Magnus play Catalan like 10 times this year. Variation or not.

[@fuckbankers]

I smell sour grapes from Carlson

[@innihbassey6369]

@@fuckbankers Magnus loses all the time. To obscure juniors as well. Losing is normal, even for him. Pls explain how he might be sour

[@thernly]

As a chess master, I was surprised at how good this video is. I had never seen the Carlsen interview in Norwegian translated to English before. I’m curious about the context and would like to see the entire interview. If anyone has a link, please note it in the comments.

[@rhino_twozero326]

You're no chess master

[@ItsAsparageese]

I LOVE how clearly this evokes the interrogation analysis video genre! Am I mistaken or is the title even alluding to the title of one of those videos? "Jennifer's Solution" if I recall right? This is hilarious and entertaining yet also exceptionally elegant professional reporting. I would enjoy other chess journalism from you in this style, inasmuch as you feel inspired to make it. I'm glad you decided to go through with making this video :D

[@ASMRChess]

you are exactly right :) very happy you like the video!

[@ItsAsparageese]

@@ASMRChess I'm happy you're happy with the response! Thanks for all your hard work 😁

[@taylorpeppers5012]

The channel you're thinking of is JCS or Jim Can't Swim

[@ItsAsparageese]

@@taylorpeppers5012 Thanks! Yeah I couldn't remember it at the time, I always forget the initials apart from being pretty sure about the J haha. Thanks for the "Jim Can't Swim" mnemonic lol, I imagine I'll be able to remember it now! We all owe that dude for establishing his particular subgenre of video & setting such a high-quality precedent for the channels that came after, in terms of analysis & production & subtitles & overall excellence. Such great work. It's awesome to see a video like this pay such great genre-crossover homage to the tone he set.

[@isabelgellibrandi7496]

Extraordinary claims/accusations, require extraordinary evidence. I have no dog in this fight, but from what I can see, Carlsen is knowingly risking nothing in making these accusations, whereas Niemann is at risk of losing his whole chess career.

[@kat0uttahellotp779]

He didn’t make the accusation. He just simply withdrew from the competition. He hasn’t came out and stated why but people are assuming it’s because hans is a cheater.

[@gershom3413]

I really like the documentary, it does a great job coming from both angles! I would like to say I think it somewhat downplays the shotty analysis Hans was giving in the post game interviews. He said he looked at a line, but didn't know it was losing. Against Reza he explained his line just saying "it was obvious" when even Reza didn't seen the Rf4 line and was confused. Also, never got an explanation of how Hans prepped the c3 line agaisnt Magnus. Other than that non-existant game agaisnt Wesley So. Overall, great video. Just feel like it downplays some of the sus things by Hans.

[@ASMRChess]

There is a plethora of circumstantial evidence in the case. My original script was at least twice the length of the final version. I had to cut a lot of interesting items like the ones you mention, in order to keep the video at a reasonable length. Hopefully I will get to explore these items in future videos. I’m happy you like the video :)

[@angelsegarra-gonzalez4708]

@@ASMRChess The issue of Niemann's shoddy analysis during one interview or two was a mischievous piece of mischief started by GM Nakamura that then was repeated by people who know little about chess. I'm a club player who has played in numerous over the board tournaments and have been present on numerous postmortem analysis by IM and. GM strength players. Now while it's true that players spend most of the time calculating variations deeply, some moves are arrived at by pattern recognition which just one or two move analysis which goes to Hans moves in the Alireza game, the maliciousness of Nakamura resides in the fact that he would like you to believe that the way trained chess KZbinrs and commentators verbalize analysis is the way that every strong chess player explains their calculations and moves. Here is a sample dialog that I heard in an analysis between a GM and a IM, we were looking at position on the board.GM pointing to a square says "What about knight here" IM shaking his head says"Naahh" GM moving his index finger over the board apparently pointing to some random squares say"yeah yeah you are right" and so It went

[@somebodyhere3160]

the supposed "non-existant" game is actually existent , it just transposed from a different position, However it is still quite miraculous that he prepped the line.

[@aphextemper44]

Carlsen makes a tantrum and his simp Nakamura starts slandering Niemann... the whole ordeal made me lose respect for Nakamura.

[@pushanka]

@@angelsegarra-gonzalez4708 "mischievous piece of mischief" you being serious with this wording?

[@Mudaro222]

To be completely correct: "NiemanD" means "nobody" in German. Google translate obvisously understands mistakes.

[@ASMRChess]

Yup, Google translate tricked me

[@Mudaro222]

@@ASMRChess Just like Hans... 😁

[@iwersonsch5131]

Two things to note about the opening preparation: 1. While the opening didn't appear in the 2018 championship, I heard that there was one online blitz game with this move order 2. (more importantly) While the opening started as a Nimzo-Indian, it transposed into the Catalan, more specifically into a line of the Catalan that was decently expectable from Magnus Carlsen. Jan Gustavsson conjectured that this Catalan line would have been the source of Niemann's preparation, and that Niemann, at that point not having been accused, would have lied to hide his prep against the Catalan. Niemann then seconded this explanation in his interview. This also explains why, as Hikaru pointed out, Niemann did spend several minutes on one move of the opening in-between blitzing out the rest. Niemann claims that he was making sure the transposition would be a perfect match to the position he prepared, and Carlsen couldn't gain an advantage by steering the game away from a transposition at the last second.

[@ngmddn9125]

Then afterwards in the i interview, why didn't hans just say "I gambled on him playing the catalan so did loads of preparation for it?" He's cheated before in serious competitive tournaments, and he did it again with magnus.

[@iwersonsch5131]

@@ngmddn9125 Did you read what I wrote? "Jan Gustavsson conjectured that Niemann, at that point not having been accudes, would have lied to hide his prep against the Catalan."

[@drained1177]

I like how popular this video has gotten Mr. ASMRchess. And i like that you kept the asmr format in this narration! Excellent!

[@PadeJuan]

This tiny documentary is so informative and amazing. I’m not very much into the chess world but these insights are much appreciated thank you

[@andrenergy1272]

The outro was outstanding. Great video!

[@Hakabas01]

Honestly this is the best video about this controversy I've seen to date.

[@wonderbucket1242]

Hans probably cheated. Why else would he suddenly lose after being thoroughly searched-down? With today's wireless technology cheating has never been easier.

[@pjs7136]

This documentary is a work of art.

[@higamato3811]

Some sidenotes: "Niemann" is not the German word for "nobody". This would be "Niemand". Niemann is the Low-German word for "Neumann", "Newman" in English. Hans has this name from his Danish mother. The video links the drama of the game to the opening. But Carlsen came out of the opening with an engine assessment of "Equal", -0.4 in this case. A Magnus Carlsen with the white pieces does not loose a position like this. He lost due to some moves that were surprisingly inaccurate or even mistakes. There wasn't a single move by Niemann with a "!" mark. The game was lost by Carlsen rather than won by Niemann. One of Carlsen's seconds, Jan Gustafsson, who is on the photograph in the video and is specialized on openings, explained in a (German) video that he is certain that Niemann in the morning did not look at the opening that was actually played in the game, but at a Catalan that leads to the very position found on the board through interposition. He thinks it very natural that Niemann would prepare for a Catalan against Carlsen. According to him no player would not tell the truth in public about his preparation so as not to inform his competitors. Jan has been a second to Carlsen in all his Championship matches as a counselor for openings. There have been some very interesting attempts to prove Niemann cheating by statistical means, some of them with spectacular results. But it remains totally unclear if those statistical approaches are methodically correct. All commentators agreed that Carlsen would never ever again play in a tournament if Niemann was allowed to participate, too. Although our Norwegian friend until this very day has continued to remain silent Niemann has been admitted to the Julius Bär Generations Cup, which is arranged by - Magnus' company. Honi soit qui mal y pense.

[@wariofat]

Thanks for pointing this wrong etymology of his last name out, plus showing some awareness for Low German / Low Saxon. :)

[@jeremias-serus]

It should be noted that the equivalent to Hans in English is John. They are both biblical names stemming from Aramaic spoken during the time of Jesus. The original name being something like Yehohanan, which turned into Ioannes in Greek, Johannes in Latin, Johan in Germanic languages, and then (Jo)Hans in Germans and Joh(a)n in English.

[@stoned_]

Good comment

[@Tube_Chaser]

It's still pretty funny that "Niemann" and "Niemand" is just one letter off, just like "Neumann" and "Niemann". Both work for the analogy that Hans is "new" in the 2700 chess world and relatively unknown compared to Carlsen.

[@higamato3811]

@@Tube_Chaser That's not by accident. "Niemand" is the antonym to "Jemand" -> somebody, which goes back to 8th century Old High German ioman, êoman. "Ni" is the negation, so Ni-io-man. Niemann is somebody who has newly arrived at a community, in American: New kid on the block. Most appropriate for our Hans! Carlsen on the other hand means "Son of Karl". I quote: "From the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word meaning "man". However, an alternative theory states that it is derived from the common Germanic name element hari meaning "army, warrior". So new kid meets son of warrior and kicks him into his b*lls. Maybe that's the whole story.

[@harrisonzhu3300]

This is perhaps the most impartial take I have heard on this matter so thank you for that!

[@jenniferglenn14]

You have the best video on this I’ve seen

[@zunuf]

Best video on this scandal I've seen so far.

[@jeremygonzal8603]

Regarding the two possibilies, Magnus has lost before, many times actually. But this is the first time he withdrew after losing. Allow me to submit MY two possibilities. Either Magnus, an extremely passionate and emotional person, got carried away with his own biases against people he doesn't like or suspects and tweets what he tweeted without thinking, or Magnus saw something deeper than anyone else that caused him to do this.

[@WalyB01]

Or he has a gambling addiction

[@lordkanti8260]

In gaming we call this Molding

[@jungyo8417]

@@lordkanti8260 malding* mad/ badling. but magnus isnt balding. and didnt seem mad either so no.

[@SamiiYou]

Do you think it was a case of: I know you're cheating because I'm cheating and you beat me?

[@mayhudson]

based and hanspilled

[@jonescrusher1]

I don't see how the truth could lie somewhere inbetween, either he cheated or he didn't.

[@paolasassi5171]

I think Magnus felt something was wrong. Regardless if there was something really wrong or not, many (also competent people) felt the same. With this feeling you can stop playing I don’t think Magnus did something wrong. If we will never be able to prove he was cheating? Still Magnus has the right of doing what he did. If Niemann is smart enough he will stop or slow down the cheating which I think it is what I would do, and if noone can prove it just continuing in a less spectacular way the arbiters will need to get smarter

[@xlorida]

You didn't mention the many games Hans has played with extreme (some times 100%) engine accuracy. A thing which no human can accomplish.

[@slowmutant8]

I think the claim that Hans had unusually accurate games has already been debunked.

[@Ssv714]

@@slowmutant8 where. and how. hikarus video seems pretty on point

[@slowmutant8]

​@@Ssv714 Hikaru reviews the videos by Yosha. Yosha's analysis is very faulty. Many have debunked her conclusions on reddit and in various youtube videos. But of course, the claim that Hans had super-human accuracy is more attention-grabbing, so most people just stick to that. James Gardner goes through some of the problems with Yosha's videos on the Epic Chess channel (the video "Shocking Flaw in the Hans Niemann '100%' Game Analysis"). That's just one example. Just look and you can find many other discussions on reddit.

[@hwangsaessi2335]

This was great!!! It is indeed very interesting how public opinion is changing like the eval bar on an 800 elo game - first people were extremely suspicious of Hans, then after Magnus' continued silence and Hans' interview many people rallied in support of him, and now after the chesscom response and some statistical analysis of his games, I think ppl are starting to get more suspicious again. Whatever the case may be, I agree that the public is operating on extremely limited information and, as always, the internet just went wild without anything concrete. P.S.: "Nobody" in German is "niemand". I have never heard "niemann", I guess it could possibly be an archaic or dialectal variant. Hans is of Danish ancestry apparently :)

[@ASMRChess]

the line about publich opinion changing like the eval bar on an 800 elo game is brilliant. I will steal it if you let me. Regarding the Niemann = nobody thing it is completely legit. That is an actual screenshot of google translate :)

[@desarguesbaptiste5577]

Maybe public opinion is changing a lot or it's just that different people talk in different instances. Like Hikaru has a big fanbase that'll do a lot of noise just after his stream charging Hans but afterwards they're a little more quiet because some other people have now more points to make.

[@dr.bluesfield3629]

@@ASMRChess screenshot or not, it's not legit at all but on the contrary totally wrong as the word "niemann" does not exist in German, not even in any dialect! The correct word would be "niemand", I assume that Google translate uses some 'clever' algorithm nowadays to guess what was meant and just uses the word that's closest. But "niemann" does not mean "nobody" in German, it simply has no meaning as there is no such word. It does sound like the word for "nobody" though.

[@AstolfoBestWaifu1]

@@ASMRChess Listen, this is just wrong. Google Translate isnt very accurate, reaching accuracy ratings of about 85% (though varying by langauge) Niemann is not a german word, it doesnt mean anything in German, it also isnt noted in any notable German dictionary, including the most well known one "Duden", as such you shouldnt claim legitimacy without proper knoweldge.

[@Aanzeijar]

@@ASMRChess German here. Niemann does not mean nobody, and google translate is shite for stuff like this. Niemann as a family name means "new man" as in"someone new in the neighbourhood" and as others wrote doesn't exist in normal German.

[@snap-off5383]

Dude, great video. The "Neiman" translation bit was perfect.

[@spartor9386]

I already know this is about to be great!🔥🔥

[@Empry]

Compared to other games Niemann played, it just seems a bit too weird for me that he would be so dominant against Carlsen playing the white pieces. It comes back to the saying when it seems a bit too good to be true, it often isn't.

[@jamesgrant9779]

Never thought I’d need JCS inspired chess content. I was such a fool.

[@johnmalcolm4822]

That voice could read the most exciting story and make it sound boring.

[@Kincaid_]

I NEVER expected to see an ASMR, Chess, and JCS-inspired fusion video. Very well done man! Super cool.

[@ItsAsparageese]

Same! Huge fan of the JCS-et-al genre. It's wild to see it blended into this community but it's also executed perfectly lol, this creator did an awesome job

[@nynzxoxo]

This is the best video explaining this whole ordeal. I watched it 9 months ago, and I STILL think about it. The way you presented the scandal from beginning to end felt biblical and is seared into my mind. The part about the etymology of Hans name. Omg. This was the video that singlehandedly made me care about chess

[@TheTutch]

Jan Gustafsson said the opening was a transposition to a line in another opening (I forgot which one), that Niemann would have had to prepare. While the move in itself may have been unexpected, the resulting position wasn't. All the cryptic talk about miracles, according to gustafsson, may have been Niemans attempt to not admit that Carlsen stumbled into his prep for another opening entirely...

[@JohnDoe-ti2np]

Nigel Short found a Carlsen-So game (Kolkata, 2019) which reached a very similar position (via transposition) to the one that arose in the Carlsen-Niemann game.

[@DVous]

Basically Magnus lost, threw a big hissy fit, said Hans was cheating and will withdrawal from the competition unless the officials take his side, they couldn’t do that so Magnus cried some more

[@AS-yi1gj]

It is such a nice video! The way you don’t take side and stay objective is expressive. It makes me like you even more.

[@ASMRChess]

Glad you liked it!

[@kewkabe]

The arbiter fails to scan the top of Hans' hair at 4:06. That is where the 4G receiver, signaling solenoid to tap the moves on his scalp and microcontroller are hidden! IT'S IN HIS HAIR

[@emilerhard4189]

Another interesting aspect to talk about would be his surprisingly inaccurate post game analysis which Hikaru also mentioned

[@tatbaz1]

I agree he sounded like a spectator . Not a super GM commenting on a game that he had just played.

[@ASMRChess]

yes - I had this in the original script as well, but I had to cut quite a lot from it. The full-length script would have taken me a month to edit unfortunately.

[@anglik3954]

@@tatbaz1 Don't you think chess players should be judged by the quality of their game, not the quality of their eloquence, accent, or adherence to social norms?

[@tatbaz1]

@@anglik3954 their play should be judged on its merit sure. If someones a shitty person being good at a game doesnt make them a good person

[@BobbleCube]

“He has also exhibited bizarre behaviour when loosing” what Gm hasn’t

[@bigzappy]

Amazing storytelling, i loved this format and would like to see more of it 🤩

[@ditzyjo8463]

"Yeah dude I was just checking out this opening he's never played before right before the match! Like a miracle or something." Come the fuck on, man.

[@izainmartinez3787]

He didn't cheat twice. He got caught twice 😆. There's a difference.

[@nannue]

This is a very good analysis. I feel for them both and hoping for the best at them both.

[@fabiankopp4035]

I am not quiet sure what to think. Hans' win seems unlikely but not impossible. Magnus can sometimes become a crybaby when losing and I am pretty sure that could be what happend here.

[@Neonax1]

You forgot the bad lines hans gave during the interview after the matches. He talked like he has no idea whats going on.

[@aphelion9527]

This was a great video and fair take on the current state of affairs. Very well done AChessMR!

[@Fallibleandflawed]

Best video ever. You have a full understanding of social constructs and actual intellectual inputs of the sport It's f****** amazing

[@andrecontreras4519]

This reminds me of that SpongeBob episode where bubble bass exposed SpongeBob for “forgetting the pickles”. SpongeBob of course takes this deeply to heart because there’s nothing more that he loves than his job. This destroys him and forgets who he is and hides away in his home. Until Mr. Krabbs swings by and reminds him who he is. Then it turns out bubble bass was hiding the pickles the entire time. But I guess we shall see

[@almal1465]

The best summary of these events I have seen so far.

[@QuinnBeckley]

Great analysis, but you forgot to mention that the game that hans had looked over in his prep was a transposition of the game that he had played against magnus (or vice versa, I don't know the theory I just know the fact lol). The game he was referencing was played by wesley so and magnus carlsen in 2019. Not mentioning this could give viewers the wrong impression of hans.

[@robdubent]

This.

[@jerste]

Although that's only his own allegation and doesn't seem to be exactly what he sait originally.

[@AyrtonTwigg]

This was one of the best produced videos I’ve seen this month!

[@clayblythe]

Wow what a masterful script to describe the situation, and what a great ending line.

[@elasheen]

What a video! Great job. Thanks for taking the time to put this together

[@michaelscott5653]

Maybe this was just some giant ploy to get more people interested in chess lol

[@KF1]

No, that was Covid

[@ASMRChess]

it is all part of the same plan

[@kevinbrook7033]

This was a fantastic overview and assessment of this bizarre scandal. Really well put together.

[@alaskanyeti907]

As someone who doesn't know a lot about chess, but knows a lot about sports in general, could it just be that Magnus underestimated his opponent? You see this happen in other sports around the world where a team that has no buisness being good puts together a really good game, upsets a superior opponent, then goes right back to being terrible again. So could this be one of those instances? Or is chess different in that regard where it doesn't happen. I'm genuinely curious, from an outsiders perspective

[@juliosantiago7182]

With physical sports is different. If you’re playing basketball and someone suddenly jumps 20 feet in the air. You will be like wtf he’s got robotic legs that’s inhuman. Similar in this case, it’s not so much as as an underdog being underestimated, it’s more of him doing moves out of numerous combinations of moves he picks the one closest to those that a computer will make. Which is a huge jump. Someone can train their hops and jump higher but cmon when someone says they can jump 20feet it’s like wtf no one can train that. Hans has cheated a lot before in chess games, he’s produced 100% games which is inhuman (100% meaning he made a perfect move 100% of the times) a game that was 45 moves. Bobby Fischer a legend never played like that. Now this guy who yea is good but historically never played like that is like wtf. For example u see someone running 100mph ur like wtf that’s abnormal he’s obviously on something or is inhuman. Same w chess, the players know when something is off because of experience. Every game has cheaters. Physical sports use steroids or other drug enhancers. Gambling people count cards. Fortune tellers have coded words where rain can mean the guy to your right. Chess I can think of possible ways, one is through vibrations…board is 8 rows and columns so 8 letters from A-h and 8 numbers from 1-8. I mean all u need is to vibrate 8 times that’s H pause for 1 second indicates that’s the letter u stop at then 5 vibrations for number 5 so h5 and that wouldn’t take long which can mimic a normal human response. He can just tape a small device to his hairy head and since the games are being broadcasted someone can input the other players moves and signaled the computer generated response. Yes it’s possible for him to win, but comeon even physical sports know when something is off or unnatural same as chess. When an underdog team loses they are like yea we trained and developed plays, we improved our speed….they explain and u can see it…in this case w this chess game the guy accused of cheating couldn’t even provide a reason as to why he chose those moves, which they are suppose to because it’s the best move. To sum up and apologies for the essay, yea physical and mental sports are similar but experienced players always know when there is something off or unnatural…he’ll even video game players know when something is off. Yea he could of beat him legit but the guy has cheated in the past, and he’s the guy that hates losing, and him playing games at 100% perfection. Ok 10 moves sure, but 45 moves all perfect not once but three times which has never been done ever. A lot to consider.

[@yungtoe5110]

Magnus is THE best player in the world and Hans absolutely demolished, obliterated, deleted him in an opening that has rarely ever been played. That’s incredibly unlikely. Additionally many have ran his matches with a chess engine and found that many of his games had 100% accuracy. This has never been done by ANY other player ever and Hans seemingly did it MULTIPLE times. That is blatant cheating one time with 100% is theoretically possible sure but over 5 times? It is simply not possible even the best chess players have only reached 70% accuracy

[@ratatatuff]

14:14 There's a big mistake with the translation. 1) It's plain wrong because "nobody" would be "niemand", not "niemann" (which doesn't even exist as a word in German) and 2) you can't just translate the name with Google Translate. That would be ridiculous. You have to look at the etymology. And etymologically "Niemann" would translate to "Neumann" in German, meaning somebody who just recently moved into a certain area.

[@DINOzye]

You say that Magnus has never played the catalan before, that's just not true. Magnus Carlsen began to employ the Catalan as his main opening in the late 2010s, most notably using it in the second game of the 2021 World Chess Championship against Ian Nepomniachtchi, and used it extensively at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2022

[@keepermovin5906]

He’s never played this specific variation of the Catalan.

[@keepermovin5906]

He’s never played this specific variation of the Catalan.

[@Corteum]

Best coverage i've seen to date on the cheating allegations.