He had called it a match for statistics, but Magnus Carlsen, the world chess champion, was stunned by a 19-year-old teenager.
Hans Niemann, a virtual chess player who was among the competition’s most underrated, ended the 31-year-old Norwegian’s 53-match unbeaten streak. All this was a surprise to everyone, but it was only the tip of the iceberg.
Magnus Carlson, after the loss, withdrew from the race, while he started making accusations on social networks. According to him, Niemann had cheated during the competition, while his statements were supported by other chess players. Immediately after these accusations, the 19-year-old reacted and claimed that 7 years ago he had cheated in chess, but in the virtual one. According to him, this was the only mistake, but it had never happened in a chess game at the table.
Niemann went on to say that he was disappointed that his hero was unfairly ruining his career. The confrontations between the two chess stars did not stop at this point, as some time later the return match took place, but virtually.
After only one move on the table, the Norwegian resigned in protest. Niemann is currently ranked 40th in the world, in 2020 after he broke away from virtual chess, he immediately climbed the ladder, causing a number of doubts to arise.
Meanwhile, in the coming days he will play for the US title in a field of 14 masters, including three of the world’s top 10.