Chess player accused of using 'anal beads' to beat opponents may have been cheating for years, report claims

The biggest cheating scandal in the history of chess has just been blown wide open.

Hans Niemann has been at the centre of a huge controversy in the sport after he was accused of cheating by Magnus Carlsen – something Niemann has repeatedly denied.

The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that an independent report from Chess.com has found that Niemann "likely" cheated in more than 100 games online, which is “much more often” than he has acknowledged.

It comes after Carlsen quit a rematch against the 19-year-old after just one move after being beaten by him in a shock upset at the Sinquefield Cup.

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Eric “ChessBrah” Hansen then tried to claim that Niemann was cheating by having signals conveyed to him via vibrating 'anal beads' in a video which gained traction online, with the assertions circulated online and taking on a life of their own.

Carlsen previously released a statement on social media and called the idea of cheating in chess an “existential threat” to the game. He also went on to double down on his allegation of cheating against Niemann.

Hans Niemann has become the most talked about name in chessSaint Louis Chess Club

Now, the report has claimed that Niemann cheated "much more often" than he has acknowledged. However, it did state that no evidence had been found of him cheating in his game against Carlsen or in any "over-the-board" games.

Niemann previously admitted to cheating in informal games when he was younger but denied cheating against Carlsen or other competitive matches.

The report claims that he cheated as recently as 2020 against “well known” players and in prize money events, after comparing Niemann's moves to those suggested by chess computers.

"Overall, we have found that Hans has likely cheated in more than 100 online chess games, including several prize money events," the report reads.

"He was already 17 when he likely cheated in some of these matches and games. He was also streaming in 25 of these games."

Indy100 has reached out to Niemann for comment.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.