Carlsen resigns on move 2

[Geoff Chandler]

"In the best interest of the chess community, we would kindly ask the
public to refrain from speculations on the outcomes,,,"

I speculate Carl will lock the thread to avoid speculations.

[NickFaulks]

I’d speculate Hans might just about squeak through the OTB scrutiny

You mean "just about squeak through" on the basis of the absence of any hint of a shred of evidence of guilt, that sort of "squeak through"?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"In the best interest of the chess community, we would kindly ask the
public to refrain from speculations on the outcomes,,,"

And if it goes quiet for long enough, we can avoid doing anything.

[David Sedgwick]

"In the best interest of the chess community, we would kindly ask the
public to refrain from speculations on the outcomes,,,"

And if it goes quiet for long enough, we can avoid doing anything.

Cynicism is often justified where FIDE are concerned, but there were many who thought that the Fair Play Commission wouldn't do anything.

I have been sparing in my public comments on the matter, here and elsewhere, owing to my Grand Chess Tour position. In the light of this development, this will be my last such comment for the moment.

[Roger de Coverly]

The focus of the investigation would be twofold: checking the World Champion's claims of alleged cheating by Niemann and Niemann's self-statement regarding online cheating.

I suppose a question they have to ask themselves is the extent to which, if at all, alleged or self confessed inappropriate behavour in online tournaments should have an effect on OTB status.

It's by no means clear what chess.com are prepared to divulge. It's possibly also the case the some players even if falsely accused have opted for the quiet life to get their account back by making a "confession".

[JustinHorton]

I suppose a question they have to ask themselves is the extent to which, if at all, alleged or self confessed inappropriate behavour in online tournaments should have an effect on OTB status.

There's also the question of whether this is going forward, or if it's retrospective, i.e. people who have been found to be online cheats in the past will face sanctions in the present and future, because if they are this raises a lot of questions, including "does this just apply to Hans Niemann".

(In fact there's all kinds of problems of various kinds here, I'll try to list some of the ones I can think of later. In the meantime, people might like to ask themselves - if what Chessdotcom allege is correct, and Hans cheated online more than he has admitted, do you think this was (a) before he was banned at age sixteen or (b) after, and what would be the implications of either?)

[JustinHorton]

It's by no means clear what chess.com are prepared to divulge.

Well quite so - would FIDE investigators (if that's not overdoing it) have a free hand? But also - it was discussed above that, if Danny Rensch is to be believed, individuals outside Chessdotcom who have seen confidential materisl have signed NDAs. If they are required, how are public judgments going to be made on that basis? (And once again, is this only going to apply to Hans Niemann?)

[NickFaulks]

I hope one thing that emerges from this mess will be a clear statement from FIDE that from now on, cheating online ( however established, that is a separate question ) will have serious repercussions in OTB chess. Have I in fact already missed such a statement?

edit : On reflection, a clear statement that online cheating on commercial sites would not have OTB repercussions would also be an improvement on where we are now. Above all, players need clarity.

[David Shepherd]

edit : On reflection, a clear statement that online cheating on commercial sites would not have OTB repercussions would also be an improvement on where we are now. Above all, players need clarity.

Not sure I agree with this, I believe above all players need fairness and a cheat free enviroment to play in.

[NickFaulks]

Not sure I agree with this, I believe above all players need fairness and a cheat free enviroment to play in.

OTB, for sure. Online it would be nice, but if that turns out to be unattainable does it have to take OTB down with it?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Not sure I agree with this, I believe above all players need fairness and a cheat free enviroment to play in.

OTB, for sure. Online it would be nice, but if that turns out to be unattainable does it have to take OTB down with it?

Yes, that is basically where I stand. If you view OTB chess as intrinsically superior anyway, its not a bad place to be.

[MartinCarpenter]

Not sure I agree with this, I believe above all players need fairness and a cheat free enviroment to play in.

OTB, for sure. Online it would be nice, but if that turns out to be unattainable does it have to take OTB down with it?

Yes, that is basically where I stand. If you view OTB chess as intrinsically superior anyway, its not a bad place to be.

Look at the amount of money in the major online events these days though. I can't see anyone being willing to just give that up.

[NickFaulks]

Look at the amount of money in the major online events these days though.

I know very little about online chess, which are these big money online events? I don't mean Titled Tuesday, which is just pocket change.

[MartinCarpenter]

Look at the amount of money in the major online events these days though.

I know very little about online chess, which are these big money online events? I don't mean Titled Tuesday, which is just pocket change.

I'm not that up on the details myself. There's the whole Meltwater tour at least? $1.6 million from their website which is a bit more than pocket change even spread over 9 events.

Not sure about any others or quite how it compares as a percentage vs FtF. Think lockdown changed it a huge amount as they found the size of the online audience.

[Ian Thompson]

Look at the amount of money in the major online events these days though.

I know very little about online chess, which are these big money online events? I don't mean Titled Tuesday, which is just pocket change.

$650,000 prize fund in the chess.com Rapid Chess Championship.

$1,000,000 prize fund in the chess.com Global Championship, although the final is at a single venue and the organisers have reserved the right to play it as an OTB event.