A particularly bizarre scandal is currently overshadowing the chess world. 19-year-old American Hans Niemann is said to have cheated with anal beads in a chess tournament with five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen. The consequences? Cheater Niemann “no one wants to touch each other anymore”, explains the chairman of the Austrian chess federation, Michael Stöttinger.
The investigation into this scandal is still ongoing, but it is still clear to Stöttinger that American Hans Niemann “somehow gained an advantage” in the Sinquefield Cup match. The theory that he got “morse code” from anal beads has sprung up on Twitter, but when a world champion like Magnus Carlsen makes such accusations as “honest player,” you might think he’s not doing it for no reason.
Is the anal ball scandal now a wiretapping scandal?
A “communication” has been intercepted that could indicate that Niemann had committed fraud. Carlsen couldn’t say that, though, since wiretapping is also “not legal.” The result of the scandal is that Hans Niemann “doesn’t want to touch anyone anymore”. After all, whoever books cheater Hans Niemann for a tournament “doesn’t have to ask Carlsen anymore”. After all, he is the better player in the world.
“What can my Russian players do for the war?”
The chairman of the Austrian Chess Federation explains that the war in Ukraine also concerns the chess world. For example, Russian players are not allowed to compete under their national flag. “You want to avoid photos of a winning player waving the Russian flag,” says Michael Stöttinger. But: he himself has two young Russians on his team and wonders: “What can the two players do for that?”. Both chess pros are now “disabled in their life plan” and still receive a call-up assignment. That is why they would also like to stay in Austria.
What chess professionals earn
Stöttinger is happy with the chess trend, which broke out especially during the Corona period. However: if you start playing chess at a later age, you have hardly any chance of reaching the world top. However, anyone who makes it to the top can be happy: professionals can charge 25-50,000 euros per game and thus “live quite comfortably”.
You can see the entire conversation with the president of the Austrian Chess Federation above.
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Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
