Hikaru Nakamura on Carlsen’s withdrawal: “He would never do this in a million years” and more GMs react

Leading chess players like Nakamura, Caruana, and Aronian have shared their thoughts on the controversy surrounding Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann at the Sinquefield Cup.

This article was first published in 2022 and has been revised to include the latest information regarding Hans Niemann’s reply.

Magnus Carlsen’s unexpected departure from the Sinquefield Cup shocked the chess world. Coming right after losing his long-standing winning streak to Hans Niemann, it was the first time Carlsen had ever left a tournament before it finished. However, most discussion focused on Carlsen’s statement about his withdrawal, which subtly suggested he suspected unfair play.

If these claims are accurate, they are very serious. Currently, there’s no proof against Niemann, and Carlsen’s accusation has created a lot of uncertainty within the chess world. People are now looking to other top players and chess experts for their thoughts on the matter.

Hikaru Nakamura has high suspicion against Hans Niemann

It’s no surprise that most chess fans tuned into Hikaru Nakamura’s Twitch stream. With around 25,000 people watching at the same time, Nakamura began talking about the situation, starting with these comments:

I probably shouldn’t mention this, but I will. For more than six months, Hans didn’t participate in any tournaments on Chess.com where prizes were awarded. I won’t be saying anything further about it.

He didn’t stop there, though. During the broadcast, Nakamura pointed out several suspicious things about Niemann. Specifically, when discussing the claim that Niemann cheated on Chess.com, Nakamura stated definitively, “That’s not even a question – it’s a well-known fact.”

A Twitter account called “Unsubstantiated Chess Rumors” reported that Hans Niemann was banned from Chess.com twice for using engine assistance during games. Hikaru Nakamura has confirmed the accuracy of this report.

“This analysis is not a 2700 level analysis.”

Niemann said he studied to counter the specific opening Carlsen used, which helped him play well. However, Nakamura doesn’t believe Niemann’s explanation. He thinks if Niemann had really prepared, he would have played quickly instead of taking time to think about his moves.

If you’ve prepared thoroughly and reviewed the position that morning, you can quickly play the first 20 moves. Don’t waste time – aim to spend only 3 or 4 minutes on each move, rather than 12, and play confidently based on your preparation.

Nakamura responded to Niemann’s review of his game against Firouzja Alireza, and throughout the video, Nakamura seemed to disagree with Niemann’s assessment.

“This is really weird. This analysis is not a 2700 level analysis.”

Hikaru Nakamura was surprised by Carlsen’s decision to withdraw, saying it’s very unlike him and something he wouldn’t expect him to ever do.

Magnus withdrawing feels like a clear indication he believes Hans cheated. Magnus is a fiercely competitive world champion and wouldn’t make a move like this unless he was absolutely certain Hans was cheating.

Eric Hansen

During a Twitch broadcast, Eric Hansen also criticized Niemann’s explanation, calling it unclear and rambling.

Niemann’s analysis didn’t make sense. He struggled to articulate clear ideas, and his reasoning was unclear. At the highest levels of chess, players don’t simply stumble into making basic mistakes; everything is deliberate.

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Regarding the Carlsen-Niemann game, Nepomniachtchi thought it was remarkably strong. He also believes Carlsen likely had a valid reason for leaving the Sinquefield Cup.

Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana prefers not to speculate or jump to conclusions. He confirmed he’s heard the rumors about cheating accusations, but emphasized that Magnus Carlsen hasn’t explained why he dropped out of their match. Without a clear explanation from Carlsen, Caruana doesn’t plan to comment further.

There are already a lot of speculations going around. It seems Magnus Carlsen hasn’t publicly explained why he’s decided not to participate, but people likely have some understanding of his concerns. I don’t know the specifics of what’s bothering him, and I won’t comment further until he does.

Levon Aronian

Levon Aronian is the only grandmaster who has publicly supported Hans Niemann. He believes it’s common for rising stars to face accusations when they achieve success.

It’s common for talented young players to face criticism. Many of my fellow coaches get overly suspicious, and I often had to remind them that even if I make mistakes, I’m still a capable player. I genuinely believe young players are fully capable of performing at a high level, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t.

He mentioned having played against Magnus when Magnus was young, and he said he learned a lot from those matches.

Hans Niemann’s response

Niemann later spoke about his past cheating on Chess.com. He admitted to cheating once as a 12-year-old during an online competition, when a friend used a computer to help. He also confessed to cheating in some other online games to improve his ranking. He stated that Chess.com brought the issue to his attention, he admitted it, and he accepted the consequences.

Okay, so here’s the story. When I was twelve, I was playing in Titled Tuesday with a friend. Suddenly, someone came over – I think they had an iPad and some chess engine running – and started suggesting moves for me. I was just a kid then, and honestly, I didn’t really understand what was going on! It only happened once, during an online tournament.

Look, I messed up, big time. I was chasing a higher rating on Chess.com, just wanting to play against tougher opponents, and I ended up cheating in some random games. I got caught, and I admitted it – it’s honestly the biggest regret of my life. I’m putting this out there because I want to be upfront about it and stop any false stories from spreading. I want to be clear: I never cheated in a real, over-the-board game, and honestly, besides one time when I was a kid, I would never cheat in a tournament where there was money on the line. That would be totally unacceptable.

Niemann responded by criticizing Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Chess.com. He claimed Carlsen’s tweet started the public accusations against him, and that Nakamura fueled those suspicions with his online broadcasts. Niemann also stated that Chess.com revoked his account access and removed him from the Global Championship following his victory over Carlsen.

He felt this was deeply unfair, stating it felt like a deliberate attack. He insisted his gameplay wasn’t the issue, but rather the negative attention he’d received from Magnus and Hikaru, and the widespread criticism he was facing on social media within the chess community.

The issue also damaged fans’ trust in the fairness of chess, which is important for both those who enjoy watching and for online betting services that depend on honest play.

Niemann said he will defend his reputation and will not let major figures in chess damage his name.

2026-02-09 19:43