Did chess grandmaster use anal beads to beat world No.1 Magnus Carlsen? Bizarre rumour sweeps sport

For all of the scandals that have rocked the world of elite chess in recent years, rumors that a 19-year-old grandmaster used anal beads and artificial intelligence to beat the world’s top player might be the most bizarre.

Speculation has grown online that San Francisco-born Hans Niemann, a relative newcomer to the sport, inserted wireless vibrating anal beads into his body before his victorious match against World No. 1 grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, 31, last week. 

Chess fans have speculated that an accomplice watching the match at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis used a chess program to determine the perfect move, and then sent encoded instructions via the vibrating sex toy.

Niemann has vehemently denied cheating on this occasion, but critics note that his Elo rating, which gauges the strength of chess players, shot to 2701 after his victory over Carlsen, up from just 2484 in January 2021.

And he’s faced further speculation after he previously admitted cheating during an online game aged 12. That saw one of his friends bring over an iPad loaded with a ‘chess engine’ program that offered the most likely route to a win. The person Niemann was playing couldn’t see him, and so was unaware of what was unfolding.  

His latest increase is so staggering that many in the sport don’t believe it is possible – and their suspicions are bolstered by Niemann’s own admission that he has previously used chess programs to cheat in online tournaments. 

One fan tweeted: ‘Currently obsessed with the notion that Hans Niemann has been cheating at the Sinquefield Cup chess tournament using wireless anal beads that vibrate him the correct moves.’

Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk chipped in and shared a video on Twitter of an influencer discussing the rumor that Niemann used anal beads during the chess competition.

In a since deleted tweet, Musk tweeted an adapted version of a quote by philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, writing: ‘Talent hits a target no one else can hit, genius hits a target no one can see (cause it’s in ur butt).’ 

In a since deleted tweet, Musk tweeted an adapted version of a quote by philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, writing: ‘Talent hits a target no one else can hit, genius hits a target no one can see (cause it’s in ur butt)’

Vehemently denying he had cheated at the competition, Niemann said: ‘I have never cheated in an over-the-board game.’

‘If they want me to strip fully naked, I will do it,’ he added. 

‘I don’t care. Because I know I am clean. You want me to play in a closed box with zero electronic transmission, I don’t care. I’m here to win and that is my goal regardless.’

However, Niemann admitted to cheating in an online chess tournament when he was younger by using a computer program to select moves. ‘Other than when I was 12 years old I have never cheated in a tournament with prize money,’ he insisted.

Niemann and Carlsen had faced off at the $500,000 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri on September 4 — but the up-and-coming chess champ only won the tournament after Carlsen withdrew from the upcoming fourth round.

When Carlsen dropped out of the tournament without explanation, he posted a cryptic Tweet saying: ‘I’ve withdrawn from the tournament. I’ve always enjoyed playing in the @STLChessClub, and hope to be back in the future.’

Carlsen had played 53 classical matches without a loss and had won the cup twice before in the last decade, but had never withdrawn from an ongoing event. 

Along with the Tweet, he posted a cryptic video of football manager Jose Mourinho saying: ‘If I speak I am in big trouble’.

Mourinho had been speaking at a news conference after a game in which his team is believed to have lost because of some questionable decisions by officials. 

Magnus Carlsen, 31, walked out of the $500,000 Sinquefield Cup after he was beaten in the third round, prompting online speculation that he suspected foul play

‘It must be embarrassing for the world champion to lose to an idiot like me,’ Niemann said in an interview shortly afterward, according to Vice. ‘I feel bad for him.’

Fans barely had time to react to the news before another chess titan, former prodigy Hikaru Nakamura, accused Niemann of receiving computer assistance – the kind of help which is banned from international chess tournaments. 

Cheating in chess is rare, but can be achieved by hiding computers in shoes or jackets that signal outcomes predicting the game and giving the player an advantage over their adversary.

‘Magnus would never [withdraw from a tournament] in a million years,’ said Nakamura. ‘He just doesn’t do that. He’s the ultimate competitor, he’s a world champion.

‘He wouldn’t do this unless he really strongly believes Hans is cheating with a very strong conviction. I think he just thinks Hans is just cheating, straight out.’

After he was accused, it came to light that Niemann had previously been caught cheating by the world’s most popular chess website, Chess.com.

Following the revelations, Niemann admitted cheating in the past when he was 12 and 16 — but insisted he has now ‘come clean’.

Niemann has accused Nakamura and others of trying to ruin his career. 

Since the tournament, he has reached out to media outlets and defended himself on Twitter, hoping to clear his name.

‘It’s not a miracle, it’s actually me being extremely tedious and going through every single possible transposition or line that he could play in the Catalan [a move in chess],’ explained Hans post-match in an interview with Chess24, when questioned on his technique.

But the dust still hasn’t settled, with some fans claiming his victory defied reason, while others defended his ability and said his skills speak for themselves.

‘If you look at the pattern of my games, I’m clearly missing many, many chances and it’s extremely human chess.’

Watch him play: Niemann often played chess full-time, coaches, and streams games on Twitch before entering international tournaments

He said his cheating happened when he was still a child, before he became professional.

‘I’m admitting this, and I’m saying my truth, because I do not want any misrepresentation,’ he went on. ‘I am proud of myself that I learned from that mistake, and now I have given everything to chess. I have sacrificed everything for chess, and I do everything I can to improve.’

A player such as Carlsen walking out after he was beaten in the third round is an event unprecedented in the history of chess tournaments. 

Quitting in the middle of a tournament severely disrupts the event for other competitors by throwing the rankings and brackets out of alignment, and at the grandmaster level, it is only known to happen in cases of severe illness or dire personal emergency. 

Chess.com has declined to invite Niemann from Chesscom Global Championship, a $1million event starting with online qualifiers and culminating in an 8-player final in Toronto, after the controversy.

‘I’ve met with someone very high up in Chesscom at the Sinquefield Cup, had amazing words, but because of this game against Magnus, because of what he said, they have decided to completely remove me from the website,’ he said.

Niemann became a chess grandmaster in 2020. Thirteen people have become grandmasters under the age of 14, including India’s Gukesh Dommaraju (12 years, 7 months, 17 days), Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov (12 years, 10 months, 5 days), and India’s Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (12 years, 10 months, 13 days).

How technology has driven an explosion of cheating scandals at the highest level of chess 

Aside from bribing opponents or officials, or falsifying tournament results, most cheating scandals in chess involve covertly receiving suggestions on potential moves. 

With the explosion of chess computer programs and devices like cell phones and Bluetooth, tournament officials have had to navigate a minefield of challenges in detecting cheaters in recent years.

At the top levels of competition, players are now routinely scanned with metal detectors before playing in tournaments. But as the defenses against cheating evolve, so do the devious schemes of unethical players. Here are some of the five biggest cheating scandals in recent memory:

2010 FIDE Olympiad Tournament 

In the tournament at Russia’s Khanty-Mansiysk, French players Cyril Marzolo, Arnaud Hauchard and Sébastien Feller were busted colluding in an elaborate cheating scheme.

Sébastien Feller (above) was one of three French players caught colluding in an elaborate cheating scheme in 2010

Team coach Arnaud Hauchard (left) signaled moves after receiving text messages from Cyril Marzolo (right), who was following the tournament from home

While Feller played at the board, Marzolo watched the tournament from home and tracked the game using a chess program.

Selecting ideal moves from the chess engine, Marzolo then texted the moves to Hauchard, the team coach, who would then stand or sit in a certain position to signal the move to Feller.

All three players involved were either a Grandmaster or International Master, and they were all handed lengthy suspensions from the FIDE Ethics Committee.

2014 Iasi Open 

At the tournament in Romania, 2239-rated player Wesley Vermeulen was caught cheating by consulting a mobile phone in the toilet.

According to the tournament minutes, Vermeulen cooperated with officials and admitted his guilt when confronted. 

He was eventually banned for one year by both the Dutch chess federation and FIDE

2015 Dubai Open Chess Tournament  

Georgian grandmaster Gaioz Nigalidze was caught cheating in 2015

Georgian grandmaster Gaioz Nigalidze was banned from the tournament after officials discovered him checking a smartphone with chess software in the bathroom in the middle of a game.

Nigalidze’s opponent grew suspicious when the grandmaster repeatedly bolted for the bathroom after each move during a crucial part of the game, tournament officials said. 

At first, Nigalidze tried to deny the phone was his. But it was logged into a social media account in his name, and had a program running analyzing the moves in his match, officials said.

2016 Moscow Open 

In February 2016, Sergey Aslanov was expelled from the Russian tournament for a consulting a smartphone in the toilet.

The phone was found hidden under a loose tile behind a drainpipe the bathroom. 

Aslanov admitted to making an error in leaving he phone in the bathroom, but insisted that he was not guilty of cheating.

He was suspended for one year.

2019 Strasbourg Open 

Latvian-Czech grandmaster Igors Rausis was caught red-handed (above) cheating during a tournament in 2019 by consulting a smartphone in the bathroom

In July 2019, Latvian-Czech grandmaster Igors Rausis was caught cheating, in another example of using a mobile phone in the bathroom. 

Rausis had long been under suspicion after his rating skyrocketed to nearly 2700 in a precipitous rise.  

He admitted to having cheated, and announced his retirement from chess.

‘I simply lost my mind yesterday,’ he explained to Chess.com. ‘At least what I committed yesterday is a good lesson, not for me—I played my last game of chess already.’