The cheating scandal that recently rocked world chess has lifted the lid on what has plagued competitive chess for a long time.
I’d love to cite one of the examples of such cheating which happened to me over seven years back. In 2015, the Delhi Chess Association and Government of India conducted the 1st Keshav Hedgewar Memorial Tournament for the Prakash Trophy at Delhi. In the 5th round, I played against an unknown youngster, who seemed to play quite strongly compared to his rating / known playing strength. I became suspicious of some sort of cheating with the help of a computer and lodged a complaint with the Chief Arbiter, who accepted the complaint and asked me to continue the game.
After I 'lost' the game, my opponent was taken straight for a search, during which he was found carrying two mobile phones in his shoes, a set of wireless earphones in his ears and a long extensive wiring all over the body, which seemed to have facilitated external help (through an accomplice). When 'caught red-handed' in public, my opponent confessed to cheating. Corrective measures were taken immediately, the result of the game was reversed, I was awarded the point; my opponent was removed from the tournament. I even went on to become the Champion of the tournament.
Coming back to the game played between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann in the 9th Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis on September 4, 2022. The world champion’s loss and his subsequent act of resigning against the same opponent after just one move and withdrawing from the tournament sparked a big debate in the chess world. Tongues started wagging that it was Carlsen’s way of telling that Niemann was a cheat. The world chess federation ( FIFA) set up a panel to probe the charges and the report is awaited.
Meanwhile, I decided to check the game with an intention of forming my own opinion about 'cheating’ allegations with chess engine help during the said game'. As an active tournament player for over five decades, I have had opportunity to be a member of Fair Play Panels and Appeals Committee of several important tournaments, including one Chess Olympiad. I hereby put forth my observations about the game in question, a very high quality game by the 19-year-old American. My annotations are based on two things: (1) The objective analysis of the game with engine help. (2) Is a reasonably strong Grandmaster likely to play the game in such an exemplary way?
The purpose is not to declare anyone 'Guilty' or 'Not Guilty' — but simply to place the game in the right perspective and help you make your own opinion.
Chess lovers will be surprised to know that there have been several stories of 'fake combinations' or 'arranged games', such as 'the most famous back-rank combination played by an unknown amateur against his trainer (a great Chess master) in a friendly game' (published worldwide) or even several combinations 'played' by a great 'master of brilliancy' without producing any evidence of the games actually taking place. We all enjoy these games for their artistic value and show these examples as model combinations to our students. Similarly, let us all enjoy and learn Chess from the l game played on September 4 between Carlsen and Niemanna irrespective of the raging controversy.
To be concluded
(Pravin Thipsay is an Arjuna Awardee and Interenational Chess Grandmaster)