Chess Grandmaster Kramnik: Hikaru More Likely to Have Cheated Than Hans Niemann

Hans Niemann was accused of cheating during an over-the-board chess match by Magnus Carlsen in 2022 and has since faced the consequences of these allegations. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) concluded in a 2023 report that there was no evidence of cheating in Niemann’s victory over Carlsen at the St. Louis tournament.

This incident triggered a wave of cheating accusations involving various top players. For instance, Vladimir Kramnik suggested that Hikaru Nakamura likely cheated while playing online chess, attributing his suspicion to Nakamura’s remarkable winning streak, which enabled him to set a blitz rating record.

Chess.com, the platform frequently used by Nakamura, stated in a 2023 announcement that it “found no incident of cheating.”

Hans Niemann Chess — Instagram: Hans Niemann

Niemann competed against Carlsen at the Speed Chess Championship for the first time since the cheating allegations in September.

Regarding the accusations against Niemann, Kramnik stated, “While there are some overperformances in [Niemann’s] stats, they are not extreme and don’t rank among the highest compared to others.”

He further remarked, “He’s far from players like Hikaru, whose numbers raise more significant concerns.”

When discussing Nakamura specifically, Kramnik mentioned he was “simply looking at the statistics” and called for a “thorough, unbiased examination by a group of mathematicians.” He criticized the 2023 Chess.com statement as “inaccurate” and expressed doubt about an upcoming report from the website that has not yet been published.

“Chess.com commissioned a report from a statistician, but it’s clear that the data and conclusions are flawed. The report hasn’t been published yet, and I hope it won’t be, because it’s entirely wrong. I’ve made it clear that I’m ready to publicly defend my position in a live discussion,” Kramnik stated.

A report released by Chess.com in 2022 indicated that Niemann “likely cheated in more than 100 online chess games” from 2015 to 2020.

Kramnik now acts as a mentor to Niemann, assisting him in preparation for his Speed Chess Semifinal match against Carlsen, which was their first encounter since the allegations in 2022; Carlsen emerged victorious with a score of 17.5 – 12.5.

Niemann and Kramnik’s connection began when Kramnik accused the young grandmaster of cheating in an online game. Following these accusations, Niemann offered to meet Kramnik in person to allow him to “evaluate” his chess skills.