ELI5: What is the Niemann chess/cheating scandal all about? (2 Viewers)

As a ham radio CW operator since childhood, I can still read Morse at well over 20 words/minute, but I can't imagine being able to do half that with a vibrating or buzzing medium. No way, anal or otherwise...
Amateur... I can do math problems that way.....


*Buzz buzz buzz..... Buzz.... Buzz*

42!
 
That is not too crazy based on the ratings of those in the tournament. Further, as us poker players know, mentality plays a huge part. Very few people, especially as young as Hans, are going to even perform decent playing against one of their idols with a huge scandal hanging over their head. Hans is not the most stable person to begin with. Last on that point is that (pure speculation) Magnus asked for these to be implemented before the tournament, it was denied, and then after the game he got pissed off and left, basically forcing the tournament's hand.

The most abnormal thing in the game is Magnus losing in classical chess with white pieces to a player at Hans' rating. This is extremely rare for him. However, he had a more remote/unconventional opening that Hans played relatively well against. Most professionals admit, however, that Magnus simply did not play well or up to his usual level. To be fair to him though, and along the lines of the aforementioned mental game going on, playing against a past admitted cheater who kind of knew how to counter your remote opening is a bit fishy and likely messed with his head. Magnus has talked about this being a potential issue in the past and can negatively affect games, regardless of whether or not it is actively happening.

It's all a shit-show. Until we hear something definitive from the Magnus or the likes of FIDE, it is just going to be speculation for a while.
All good points! I’m by no means a chess expert, however have been following this a bit and think you summarized it very well.

It’s also interesting to note that Magnus has also said he would not defend his title this year. I’m fuzzy on the timeline, however think he’s been open about that prior to this tournament. I read something to the effect of he doesn’t like the format, and doesn’t have the same energy/drive to spend a year preparing for it, etc, etc. basically just kind of tired of it and doesn’t feel he has anything left to prove.

He’ll keep playing, but different formats, etc.
 
N is 14 vibrations? Don’t lose track!!

Just applying common sense to what seems like an elegant Internet solution. What kind of foolproof - I say foolproof because like this it better be - system could they use that would reliably be transmitted and decoded?
A chessboard is 8x8, so worst case would be H8 (8 long, 8 short or something to that effect). Keeping track of this with a buzzer-based system wouldn't be hard.
 
3 buttholes equals MORE KNOWLEDGE.
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Hans cheated I think in a REAL MONEY online tournament, cheated a couple years later after being caught in casual games to gain enough rating to monetarily gain from being a streamer...and "allegedly" is CURRENTLY banned from chess.com investigating his gameplay and finding more cases for cheating.

Not sure if this part will age well, but Magnus saying he will comment after the tournament is over seems to imply that the investigation he asked for may be complete at that time and have FIDE give a statement--which will allow him to say what he already knows because the proof will be there.
 
All good points! I’m by no means a chess expert, however have been following this a bit and think you summarized it very well.

It’s also interesting to note that Magnus has also said he would not defend his title this year. I’m fuzzy on the timeline, however think he’s been open about that prior to this tournament. I read something to the effect of he doesn’t like the format, and doesn’t have the same energy/drive to spend a year preparing for it, etc, etc. basically just kind of tired of it and doesn’t feel he has anything left to prove.

He’ll keep playing, but different formats, etc.
About the world champion title, this has been a thing Magnus has considered dropping for years. He seems to not enjoy the preparation much anymore, and would rather spend more time playing. He was already strongly considering not playing the last World champion match. (And he seems to be even less interested in a new match against Nepo after the last match.)
 
That said, could be be cheating? Sure, but if I really suspected it, I would try to find actual evidence. Not start a scandal just cause I didn't play well and had suspicions.
Just to be clear, you're saying you'd go digging around for physical evidence, a process, to fully understand exactly how it happened? Would you live stream your process?
 
Just to be clear, you're saying you'd go digging around for physical evidence, a process, to fully understand exactly how it happened? Would you live stream your process?

I'm saying that I wouldn't sounds any alram bells outside of my camp and probably a few key officials.

let it continue until it was more concrete a case. Maybe it already is. But have trusted individuals keep an eye on his play and for possible signals. I'm sure there are plenty of cameras in the venues these days such that suspicious activities would be repeated as there would likely want to be confirmation that it was correctly received.
 

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