Carlsen pairs with Niemann on the 2nd day of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour – their first rematch after the cheating controversy. UPDATE: Carlsen drops a massive statement by resigning the game after one move.
All eyes are on the ongoing Julius Baer Generation Cup today aka the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. Magnus Carlsen will play against Hans Niemann online, their first rematch after Niemann broke Carlsen's streak and the cheating allegations arose. Will the 19-year-old Niemann score another victory? Will Carlsen say anything about the allegations?
BREAKING: Magnus Carlsen just resigned against Hans Niemann after ONE move. Commentators and fans are stunned. This bizarre move by Carlsen could possibly be seen as a double down following the cheating allegations.
The community calls out Carlsen for his unsportsmanlike behavior. As for now, both Carlsen and Niemann have not released any statements.
Now if you have missed the chaos beforehand, here's a recap: Two weeks ago, Hans Niemann defeated Magnus Carlsen in the Sinquefield Cup. Not only did he break Carlsen's 53-game Classical game streak with Black pieces, but he also gained a colossal rating boost to join the Super GMs with a 2700 rating. Niemann became a star overnight. But, that was not quite why he became such a hot topic.
To a massive surprise, Carlsen withdrew from the tournament and dropped a cryptic message. The community speculated he did it because he believes Niemann was cheating. As the cheating rumors spiraled out of control, Niemann called out three entities: Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Chess.com to take responsibility.
Later on, this controversy exploded outside of the Chess sphere. This happened when a joke about Niemann using wireless anal beads to cheat went viral. It was even mentioned and shared by figures such as Elon Musk and Stephen Colbert.
Will Niemann bead Carlsen once again?
The 2022 Tour season continues with the 5th Regular tournament, the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. This tournament goes on from September 18th to 25th on chess24, featuring a lineup of the world's best players and a sprinkle of up-and-coming talents. But the most exciting point of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour has to be the revenge matchup between Carlsen and Niemann.
On the first day, none of them gave an interview but we might just get some statements today that'll reignite the Sinquefield Cup storm. However, if both players remain silent on the issue, we'll just have to let chess speak for itself.
UPDATE: The Chess indeed spoke for itself after a one-move resignation by Magnus Carlsen. It seems like the world champion can't stop dropping cryptic messages. But when will we finally get a solid conclusion?
It is also revealed that Carlsen will not be giving any interviews throughout this tournament.
When and where to watch the Carlsen vs Niemann match?
Day 2 of the Julius Baer Generation Cup begins on September 18th, 18:00 CEST. But if you're looking for specifically the Carlsen vs Niemann game, set your alarm to 19:00 CEST. You can tune in to chess24's Twitch channel to watch the broadcast live.
What are the current standings for the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour?
On the first day, Carlsen was absolutely dominant with 3 wins and a draw. This puts him at a 10-point score, leading the current standings. Carlsen is followed closely by Ivanchuk, Praggnanandhaa, Niemann, and Erigaisi.
Credit: Chess.com