top line
World chess champion Magnus Carlsen abruptly quit after making only one move on Monday during the widely expected rematch against Hans Niemann, whom Carlsen hinted he may have cheated in another two-legged match earlier this month, sending waves across Chess world.
key facts
During a preliminary Julius Baer Generation Cup match, which Carlsen and Niemann played online using the Chess24 platform and Microsoft Teams, Carlsen abruptly quit and turned off his webcam without a word.
The resignation surprised broadcasters Peter Liko and Tanya Sachdev, with Sachdev noting that the move was “Unprecedentedand “make a very big statement.”
Neither Carlsen nor Neiman has publicly commented on the short match or resignation, and both appeared in the upcoming scheduled matches on Monday.
main background
Monday’s surprise resignation came just weeks after Carlsen withdrew from the Sincofield Cup in St. Louis after losing to 19-year-old Neiman in a stunning third-round defeat, marking the first withdrawal in Carlsen’s career. Neiman was the lowest ranked of the tournament’s ten players, and was the first to defeat Carlsen in more than two years. Carlsen, who won the world chess title for the fourth time in April, has not commented on why he was withdrawing from the tournament after losing to 19-year-old Niemann, but in a statement confirming his withdrawal, it included a mysterious video of the Portuguese. Football coach Jose Mourinho said: “If I speak, I am in big trouble, when asked about a controversial ruling in 2020. The comments were widely interpreted as accusing Carlsen Niemann of cheating. The tournament immediately reinforced its security measures and even searched for Neiman before his next match, but There is no solid evidence realized. Niemann denied cheating during his match with Carlsen, but he was Removal of Chess.com, the largest online chess platform, after circulating a previous interview in which Neiman admitted to using computer help to win online games when he was younger.
