BREAKING! Magnus Carlsen: cheaters should not be taken lightly either online or OTB

Magnus Carlsen gave the interview after the Prelims stage of the Julius Baer Generation Cup. Carlsen qualified for the Knockout phase of the event and he might meet with Hans Niemann again in the Grand finale! Julius Baer Generation Cup Knockout phase – Pairings & timetable can be found here.

Asked about his withdrawal from the Sinquefield Cup 2022 and resignation after two moves against Hans Niemann, Carlsen said: “Unfortunately I cannot particularly speak on that but people can draw their own conclusion & they certainly have. I have to say I am very impressed by Niemann’s play & I think his mentor Maxim Dlugy must have been doing a great job“. When asked if he suspects Niemann was cheating, he answered he cannot speak about that and that he might speak about the subject “a little bit more after the end of the tournament“. He added that cheaters in the future should not be taken lightly either online or over the board. See the complete interview below

Read more: Niemann’s mentor whom Carlsen mentions in the interview was banned from chess.com for cheating?!

After Hans Niemann defeated the World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup 2022, Carlsen decided to withdraw from the tournament without detailed explanations. Rumors that Magnus Carlsen suspected Niemann was cheating started spreading over social media and the controversy over the Niemann – Carlsen case is not stopping. While Niemann spoke on the case on several occasions, the World Chess Champion did not have any public announcement since then and this was his first interview after the drama hit the chess world. See the timetable of Carlsen – Niemann case below the video