Niemann Advances To SCC Finals In Paris & Potential Match With Carlsen, Blasts 'Chess Establishment'

GM Hans Niemann can buy his ticket to Paris, as he's made it to the Speed Chess Championship 2024 Semifinals which will be live in France. He won his quarterfinal match against GM Wesley So 13-10. Notably, he gave a 30-minute interview after the match that has been summarized at the bottom of this article.

The next quarterfinal match will be GM Magnus Carlsen vs. Arjun Erigaisi, on Thursday, August 8, starting at 12:00 p.m. ET / 18:00 CEST / 9:30 p.m. IST (August 9).

Speed Chess Championship 2024 Bracket 

It's undeniable, chess fans are eagerly awaiting the potential pairing of Carlsen vs. Niemann in the Semifinals. They have not played over the board since the Sinquefield Cup in 2022.

Wesley So 10-13 Hans Niemann

SmarterChess predicted a two-point victory for Niemann, with the difference being in the 3+1 portion. In actuality, Niemann dominated the first portion and maintained that three-point lead to the end of the match.

It was a second victory for Niemann on Wednesday, who earlier in the same day took a 7.5-4.5 lead against GM Anish Giri in an over-the-board match that ends on August 11 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. There was a blitz portion on Wednesday, and it will be followed by three days of double-round classical chess and, finally, six games of rapid chess.

• 5+1: Niemann 5-2 So
• 3+1: Niemann 4-4 So
• 1+1: Niemann 4-4 So
• Interview

Blitz 5+1: Niemann 5-2 So

Niemann took a two-point lead ahead of the first break. After escaping decisive trouble in game one, he won the next two games; the first one was a clean conversion of an extra piece, but the second was a wild time scramble, with the moves in red below marking the blunders committed at the end of the game.

Both players traded game-losing blunders, but So was the one to make the last mistake. Nerves were on full display.

Niemann won the next two games in a row to score a hat trick. The third of those victories features a direct attack on the enemy king, which GM Rafael Leitao covers in our Game of the Day analysis below.

So stopped the bleeding the next game, but it would be his only win in the first hour of play. The knight-and-rook endgame all came down to a single tempo; if Black had one free move, he'd win the trapped rook on c4. As it went, So was just in time for the winning maneuver Nf3-e2-c1-b3.

The most dramatic moment of the portion was the last 5+1 game. After Niemann successfully defended what was at one point more than a +5 advantage for his opponent, So went on to blunder and lose in a textbook drawn position. In the clip below, Niemann first laughs in disbelief as he survives, then his jaw drops when So blunders.

Hans can't believe it as he saves a lost position, then wins as Wesley blunders a bishop and loses a textbook draw!https://t.co/C70Z6NMV3d#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/VQ6JOOeVvw

— chess24 (@chess24com) August 7, 2024

Blitz 3+1: Niemann 4-4 So

So found his mojo in the beginning of the second portion, but he was unable to keep the momentum and Niemann reasserted his three-point lead.

So won his first game in the segment thanks to a one-move double-attack, then followed it up with a powerful initiative in the next game, starting with 19...Bxh3!, and White dropped a piece after several moves. It was two wins in a row for So, who painted the contours of a comeback.

But, after the break, So's play was shaky. The momentum he built up was quashed by a 20-move loss where he equalized easily in the opening, then immediately lost a piece.

"You can't allow a game like this," said GM Daniel Naroditsky, later following up, "Wesley has to clean up his play right now." A game later, So failed to convert a clean extra pawn in a knight vs. bishop endgame, allowing a draw.

The players exchanged black victories in the last two games, and Niemann's attack in the last one is flashier.

The momentum was clearly on Niemann's side, and the early games in the bullet section cemented his match victory.

Bullet 1+1: Niemann 4-4 So

When Niemann won the first two games of the bullet portion and gained a five-point lead, it was hard to imagine it turning around. His overall victory never seemed in doubt, even if the final bullet score was even.

So never quite recovered from the thrashings of the 5+1 segment. Niemann later said, "Seeing his camera and seeing his expressions after every mistake really boosted my confidence." So's tilt was visible in his second consecutive loss of the 1+1 portion, where he hung a knight on f3 due to the pin on the g-file:

Wesley blunders a piece and Hans takes a five-point lead!https://t.co/30TAgQAyag pic.twitter.com/uBzcAgtV38

— chess24 (@chess24com) August 7, 2024

"The building is on fire, and he needs to change the narrative right now," said Naroditsky, but it never quite came close. So's most crushing victory came in the game that followed, where 10...Bc1?? blundered the rook in the corner. Funnily, White was still objectively better if he had found 11.Bd3, but instead So won with the extra material.

Niemann's last victory came with a gunshot 25.Bxa5!, which Game Review labels as brilliant, and after 25...Rxa5 26.b4 White at least regains the piece. In the game, he won the rook on a5 and won with a passed a-pawn.

Hans is finishing in style, currently with a 13-9 lead!https://t.co/gzeymGmJ48#SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/Vvm3n3jZaM

— chess24 (@chess24com) August 7, 2024

Along with a ticket to Paris, Niemann wins $7,826.09 and So earns $2,173.91 by win percentage.

Interview

GM David Howell called the interview "riveting stuff," adding, "I don't know what was more intense, that interview or the games themselves." I will provide a summary of the almost 30-minute interview, but you can listen to it in full (timestamped) below.

The topics discussed came in this order:

• The match itself and what it means to play in the SCC Finals.
• The "chess establishment's" collusion against Niemann and his "vengeance... as victory on the chessboard."
• Niemann contradicts Chess.com's report about him.
• GM Brandon Jacobson's (Viih_Sou) match against Naroditsky, subsequent ban, and potential rematch.
• Niemann explained his "Hans Niemann Against the World" match series.

Winning The Match, Going To Paris

Let's start from the beginning. While playing two matches in one day might tire some players out, Niemann seems to never tire from playing the royal game. "I think it was actually good that I played these games against Anish because it was just a huge confidence boost."

He didn't expect to qualify for Paris, but he's made it—in his first time participating in the SCC. He pointed out that Chess.com sent in-person proctors for both of his matches, adding that they did the same for his opponents. He stressed that this created a "fair environment" and that it should eliminate any doubt about the result.

"I'm very happy to be in Paris. I'm even happier that https://t.co/fh3ftfXcRF sent two proctors for both my matches, so I don't expect any upset people. So I'm glad to show my best chess on the highest online stage."

- @HansMokeNiemann #SpeedChess pic.twitter.com/4nTi10AVv3

— chess24 (@chess24com) August 7, 2024

Niemann then explained that he's "one of the best players in the world, I've proven that time and time again," especially pointing to his recent wins against GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave last week and now So. "To beat MVL, to beat Wesley, is literally—there are very few players who could do it in the fashion that I just did. So I hope that people could understand that I'm one of the best players in the world and will continue to improve." Niemann is number 27 in the world on the live rating list with his peak rating of 2711.

 I hope that people could understand that I'm one of the best players in the world and will continue to improve.

—Hans Niemann

Hans Blasts "Chess Establishment": "Stop Being Babies"

He also blamed Chess.com who "defamed" and "lied about the extent of my online cheating." He added: "Unfortunately, the Chess.com monopoly and mafia defamed my reputation, but I'm letting the chess speak for itself. I think that throughout my chess career it'll become abundantly clear that I deserve an apology, but I'm not a victim, so I don't need an apology. My vengeance will be victory on the chessboard."

Unfortunately, the Chess.com monopoly and mafia defamed my reputation, but I'm letting the chess speak for itself.

—Hans Niemann

Next, where does he stand on Carlsen? He first said that his primary concern is playing his best chess. As for Carlsen, he put it this way: "This entire thing started in a chess game and it should end on a chessboard." He continued to explain that he will overcome "the evil chess mafia that is working against me" by continuing to win.

He stressed that the "chess establishment" conspired against him to ruin his career and that "there has never been a shred of evidence about any over-the-board cheating," though he admitted to cheating online when he was younger (more on this below). He named the conspirators:

I really just hope the chess establishment, including Chess.com, including FIDE, including Hikaru and Magnus, stop being babies and let me play handle things on the chessboard and I assure you that's going to be the least cowardly way to handle things.

Later in the interview he also mentioned being "blacklisted" by the Saint Louis Chess Club, who have banned him from their events in 2024, though he did not mention the reason. The chess club, in their statement, cited "inappropriate behavior including damaging private property, rude comments and an uncooperative attitude."

With the truth on your side, history will always look back at things differently

— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) August 7, 2024

Niemann Contradicts Chess.com's Report About Him

Niemann called Chess.com's Hans Niemann Report "insane." He maintained he did not cheat in the Pro Chess League (which he streamed) or any other prize money events since he was "12 or maybe 13" years old, and claimed that Rensch told him on the phone verbatim, "No, you never cheated while streaming." Chess.com's report contradicts his narrative, stating that he has cheated in over 100 games online and "He was already 17 when he likely cheated in some of these matches and games. He was also streaming in 25 of these games."

He also added that Naroditsky himself was anonymously quoted in an article saying that Niemann's online games did not look suspicious. Naroditsky responded, "I stand by this completely," and added, "I personally did not see anything suspicious, but at the same time, I'm a commentator. I know very little about the algorithm."

Niemann said he would never even think of cheating again. "The idea of cheating now is so far out of my head it would be the equivalent of suicide for me. To cheat would be the complete degradation of my character and my life."

Will There Be Any Reconciliation With Carlsen Or Rensch? No.

On Carlsen, he concluded, "I think he is a sick, deluded person who wanted to destroy my life. And he did this out of just pure vendetta." He would not agree to a conversation with Carlsen and Rensch on the air, which Naroditsky hypothetically suggested. "They went so far, they lied so much, that there's simply no way to talk. How do you even speak to someone who lies, just blatantly lies, and then just uses all of their resources and money and power to destroy your life? There's no discussion to be had."

Viih_Sou: Naroditsky's Open To A Match

In attempting to close the interview, Naroditsky opened another can of worms by saying, "Just to be clear, Hans, I'm speaking the truth when I say I'm not on the anti-cheating team and I have zero insight into the algorithm, just like I was not responsible for the Viih_Sou ban and I did not initiate that." Jacobson was banned from Chess.com after crushing Naroditsky in an online match while playing an objectively losing opening, 1.a4 2.Ra3 (or 1...a5 2...Ra6 with Black). 

Niemann offered to sponsor an over-the-board rematch "under any circumstances," adding that "if it is unsatisfactory based on the terms you agree, I will donate $10,000 to charity." He offered to set up a match "just like Jospem and Hikaru did," though he was likely referring to the Clash of Claims match that included GM Vladimir Kramnik, not Nakamura.

Naroditsky was hesitant at first: "As a serious player, Hans, you can understand that starting the game with a -3 position and winning a match by 30 at least is grounds for discussion. Playing a regular match [is different]." However, toward the end, Naroditsky said he "might take up" the match after all and he's "really looking forward to the new course" on 1.a4 2.Ra3.

Hans Niemann Against The World

Niemann finished by plugging his match series. He's currently playing Giri over the board, but later this month he'll be playing GM Nikita Vitiugov in London and Etienne Bacrot in Paris. Just two weeks after that last match, he will be expecting to play Carlsen or Arjun in the SCC Semifinals. In fact, his first classical game against Giri begins in less than nine hours after the end of this interview.

You can listen to Nakamura's recap of the match below.

The Speed Chess Championship is Chess.com's most important speed chess event. Some of the biggest names in chess compete to determine the best speed chess player in the world. The main event started with qualifiers on June 27 and 28 and concludes with the first-ever Final on September 8, live in Paris. The games are played with time controls of 5+1, 3+1, and 1+1. The prize fund is $173,000.

Previous reports:

• Firouzja Scores Nearly Double Caruana, Qualifies For Paris Semifinals
• Niemann, Caruana Advance To Quarterfinals After Superior Bullet Performances
• Firouzja Fireworks Lead To Win Over Grischuk, So Outlasts Lazavik
• Carlsen Keeps It Classy, Nepomniachtchi Does A Houdini
• Arjun Prevails At The Final Turn, Nakamura Dominates
• Lazavik Qualifies For SCC Main Event, Goes Undefeated On Day 2
• Pranesh Tops Swiss Qualifier, 8 Players Move On To Knockout Stage
• Paris To Host Live Final Of 2024 Speed Chess Championship: Nakamura, Carlsen Confirmed