2022 Sinquefield Cup

[Paul Heaton]

He'd better hope they find something, or it's hard to imagine that he will be invited back.

Tony Rich, director of the chess club, said he would……but hard to see why. I think Magnus is on a one way road to exclusively playing these online tournaments he controls (or are some online, but everyone is in the same venue-I lost track).

[Paul Cooksey]

You really have lost track Paul! He has given up control of those tournaments to chess.com

[Paul Heaton]

You really have lost track Paul! He has given up control of those tournaments to chess.com

Perhaps controls is too strong a word, but the legal documents make clear Carlsen will still be a driving force, with a condition precedent: “the agreement entered into between the Offeror and Magnus Carlsen relating to his role in the group following completion of the Offer shall remain valid and in full force“

But with the 100 supposedly struggling, we can but hope these online tournaments will also slide into obsolescence.

[Ian Rogers]

Regardless of whether Niemann is victim or villain - and from my limited knowledge the former is much more likely - the paranoia of some top players is entirely justified.
As far back as 2016, as the result of some accusations that were being made, I contacted the head of a nanotechnology department in Australia, an ex-chessplayer. He said that it was possible to create an undetectable device that could receive information, and that such a device could already be accessed by students who had reached a certain academic level. That was six years ago.
If such cheating happens, you will never have proof, barring a confession.
Only a substantial broadcast delay, at least half an hour, (perhaps with a ban on spectators) will mitigate this possibility. However I understand why this is a big turnoff for the top tournaments and matches, whose budgets may depend on live broadcasters like Norway's TV2.

[LawrenceCooper]

This is the interview that Hans gave after yesterday's game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI9jAU0jhJU

and a rather confused opponent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9orNSgk5w

[Chris Rice]

This is the interview that Hans gave after yesterday's game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI9jAU0jhJU

and a rather confused opponent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9orNSgk5w

The analysis by Niemann isn't very convincing. Ramirez seemed to have more idea of what was going on in the position than Niemann. Firouzja in his interview didn't see the Qg3 idea at all and especially the queen trap but his answers unlike Niemann's were the sort you could relate to.

[Geoff Chandler]

Round 4 interview: "All of my colleagues are pretty much paranoid." - Aronian 4 minutes in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUoc1PgJgRA

[NickFaulks]

Round 4 interview: "All of my colleagues are pretty much paranoid." - Aronian 4 minutes in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUoc1PgJgRA

The voice of reason. When Magnus himself appeared on the scene and was inexplicably beating everyone, did Levon wonder whether he might be cheating?

Answer - no, he didn't.

[Carl Hibbard]

Magnus played poorly in the game and after the pawn sacrifice to gain activity and not passively defend even I would have fancied my chances as black.

[Thomas Rendle]

Magnus played poorly in the game and after the pawn sacrifice to gain activity and not passively defend even I would have fancied my chances as black.

Obviously joking but still a strange take! It's well known that when one player plays very well, it often looks like the opponent is playing badly (see how badly players often play vs Magnus).

If top GMs were to face engines for our entertainment they'd play 'poorly' in almost every game.

I won't comment more on the situation, although it's hard to see how it can have a satisfactory conclusion. I doubt we'll ever 'know' for sure, although it will be interesting to see how the remainder of the tournament plays out.

[NickFaulks]

Ramirez seemed to have more idea of what was going on in the position than Niemann.

Could that be because Ramirez had ( quite openly ) been using a computer throughout the game?

[Jon Tait]

[Richard Bates]

Magnus played poorly in the game and after the pawn sacrifice to gain activity and not passively defend even I would have fancied my chances as black.

Obviously joking but still a strange take! It's well known that when one player plays very well, it often looks like the opponent is playing badly (see how badly players often play vs Magnus).

If top GMs were to face engines for our entertainment they'd play 'poorly' in almost every game.

I won't comment more on the situation, although it's hard to see how it can have a satisfactory conclusion. I doubt we'll ever 'know' for sure, although it will be interesting to see how the remainder of the tournament plays out.

Well quite. It’s a common reaction for weaker players (especially these days aided by computers) to confidently assert that there is nothing suspicious because all the moves look like something a weaker player would play. Really strong players I guess will often see it differently, and have a different view of how to detect “computerish” moves. That’s not to say they can’t get it wrong, obviously, but an exacerbating factor here may be the previous apparent suspicions that eg. Naka has been talking about. And 2 and 2 could have been put together to make 5.

It feels as if there is firmer ground to suggest that the way Carlson has reacted is open to criticism (whether or not suspicions presumed to be held by him are well grounded or not). Although even there facts are very sketchy.

[Graham Borrowdale]

Niemann comes across in that video as a bit too sure of himself, at least for my liking, some would say arrogant. Nobody earns the right to be arrogant, in my book; it is just a bad trait.
My take is that Carlsen was rattled, maybe he expected to win easily, maybe he saw some of his own traits in his opponent. He certainly comes across as thinking he is bigger than the sport just now. Parallels with Topalov in 2006?

[NickFaulks]

but an exacerbating factor here may be the previous apparent suspicions that eg. Naka has been talking about.

Naka makes his living ( according to him a very nice one ) by hinting that various players may be cheating. He has evidently discovered that this is what his followers like.