Magnus Carlsen, the World Chess Champion who recently won the Julius Baer Generation Cup after beating Indian Grandmaster Arjun Eriagasi in the final, has released a statement revealing reasons why he quit his game with American teenager Hans Niemann after a single move in the tournament.

In a statement he released on Twitter, the Norwegian chess wizard said, “I believe that Niemann has cheated more – and more recently – than he has publicly admitted”. He began the statement with an address to “Dear Chess World”, and recounted the occasions on which he had quit games against Niemann: the 2022 Sinquefield Cup and the Champions Chess Tour (the Julius Baer Generation Cup was a part of this tour).

Check out his post right here:

Carlsen, who became the World Champion after defeating India’s Vishwanathan Anand in 2013, said in his statement that he wishes to continue playing chess “at the highest level in the best events”. He continued that cheating in chess is “an existential threat” and that people involved in organizing major events should try to strengthen “methods of cheat detection for over the board chess”.

The world champion revealed that he had considered quitting the Sinquefield Cup as soon as he became aware that Niemann was taking part. Carlsen said, “I believe that Niemann has cheated more – and more recently – than he has publicly admitted.”

Regarding their game in the Sinquefield Cup, Carlsen said, “I had the impression that he wasn’t tense or even fully concentrating on the game in critical positions, while outplaying me as black in a way I think only a handful of players can do. This game contributed to changing my perspective.”

Carlsen stated that he does not want to play with players who have cheated in the past since he cannot be sure of what they might do again. He ended the note by saying, “I hope that the truth on this matter comes out, whatever it may be.”