Hi! I'm Levy, welcome to the chess world. If you haven't played, you should - it's quite a fun game. Highly recommend my beginner videos :) This video was recorded the first day the 'drama' happened, so it wasn't as detailed as I wanted. I made an updated, more detailed video of the scandal here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j9GkirSj09C0p4k.html

Fun fact. In a norwegian podcast Magnus talked about cheating (this was a few years ago, so not about this situation). He had a very good point. He said to cheat, you wouldn't even need to be told what move to play. Imagine you simply had a buzzer, e.g. in your shoe, that simply gave a vibration if there was a significant change in the computer evaluation after a move. This way you would immediately know that your opponent made a mistake, and that it would be worth spending time to look for it. It was implied that this very simple piece of information would be significant to turn one of his closest competitors into his superior, i.e. a 50-100 point jump.

Clearly the engine is inside the pieces, because chess speaks for itself.

Magnus is arguably one of if not the best chess player in history. Still he has lost many games. But he’s never made any accusations like this, even when he just got crushed or outplayed. This leads me to believe even if he is wrong he has very reasonable justification to act the way he is

I bet someone cheated by stream sniping to see the other guy’s side of the board, truly a day that will live in infamy

Here’s my take - I’m betting Magnus and his inner circle have had suspicions since the FTX Crypto Cup (possibly before), specifically his game against Hans. The cheating would’ve involved the leak of prep, not computer assistance, which would be nearly impossible to get away with. He decided to test this theory this time by preparing an obscure line he had never played before, and his suspicions were confirmed. He subsequently withdrew from the tournament, not out of saltiness from losing to Hans, but because he now knew with near certainty that there was a leak within this camp (and who’s to say that the leaker hadn’t leaked to others as well?). Everyone is focusing on Hans in all of this, but to me, the drastic reaction by Magnus is more indicative of an ongoing betrayal by someone he trusted rather than just being enraged at having been cheated by Hans. As others have pointed out, if Magnus suspected that Hans had computer assistance then there is no upside to withdrawing as he’d never be able to prove it. The only reason to do so is because he believes there is a continuing possibility of losing to others that have received his prep. Then there is the issue of the post-game interviews. There are a lot of people that I think are dismissing them as having no evidentiary value, but I think there are just too many red flags (of course, none of them rising to the level of “proof”). The attention that has been given to him miscalculating lines when challenged by Alejandro Ramirez I think is misplaced - I think that is much more likely due to him being rattled by feeling the heat of suspicion rather than him being a ~2400 player playing at a 2800 level because of computer assistance. Ironically, the scenario that I think is most likely is that Hans has actually made huge strides in his chess game lately, but was overcome by the temptation of the opportunity to look at Magnus’s prep. The truly damning thing that I think he said (again, not proof, but as close to a smoking gun as you’ll get) was his comment that “by some miracle” he had looked at that exact line before the game by chance. This is something you often see in guilty people - they know that they’re guilty, and because they know that, they think they need to address every possible avenue of questioning as soon as possible to establish their alibi/narrative, when in reality they never needed to even broach the topic as it only looks more suspicious. All the other weird behaviors are probably due to him crumbling under the heat - the accent, the rambling, oversupplying information/providing unprompted justifications, miscalculating lines, etc. But, I think the big takeaway is that from Magnus’s perspective this is not a Hans issue but an issue with his team. Only scenario that I think fits the facts. Hans’ nervous behavior, in combination with the actions that Magnus has taken certainly amounts to a preponderance of evidence for me. The idea that Magnus is just salty about losing to Hans doesn’t have any credibility with me, sure he has an ego, but it doesn’t fit the larger established pattern of his behavior.

"Beating someone once isn't revenge" has been there for a long time already, i know this coz i follow him

Magnus lost before, yet he never made such a commotion. As the greatest chess player of all time, he can recognize patterns that no one else can see. Some of these patters might not add up

I believe that Magnus' prep may have gotten leaked or somehow bugged. Magnus probably left because he could not completely trust the team.

"Beating someone once isn't Revenge" has been his bio for last 2 years.

He may have said this, but my take on this as a non chess player is that the scariest thing about this is the potential that he cheated and nobody knows how. If nobody knows how, how can they prevent it in the future?

Poker player here. We had the same with Mike Postle. In interviews he couldn't defend his choices. Just had feelings. Was unbeatable. Ultimately a HUGE scandal and a proven cheater. And say what you want about the Botez sisters but I wouldn't even know who Hikaru or Magnus were without them.

Props to Levi for calling José Mourinho a football manager

This is insane. I cant believe I have the privilege to witness this juicy drama live. This is the exact type of content I needed. The chess world is fascinating

“I look at this in a black and white way No pawn intended” -levy

Cheered by the analysis of the queen and Rook pawn with adjacent Knight pawn ending. I fell into a stalemate trap in that Vs McShane in 2000. But a spectating Speelman said afterwards that converting the advantage was no piece of cake.

Magnus always had beating someone once isnt revenge in his bio

This drama speaks for its self!

You’ve made me love chess way more, and I wouldn’t understand the game eve half as much without you. You’re amazing.

I hate when he says "if you skipped ahead hi" because then i feel bad and have to go back to watch it all.

this is a good, levelheaded response from Levy. nearly every twitch streamer i saw today was crucifying Hans and dissecting every little thing he's ever done -- it's an unfortunate situation and it may very well turn out be true, but it's refreshing to see someone just give the facts of the matter and not jump to any attacks or further drama-baiting.

Cheating by getting prep leaked seems much more plausible - and Magnus withdrawing would make more sense too. Because if there was someone in Magnus' team leaking prep, Magnus can't know the other players don't have that, too, so it makes sense not to play them for now. If he thinks Hans was cheating, why would he withdraw from the entire tournament?

I love how even addressing the controversy, you carry on but keep going back to it. That’s the most realistic take and how we feel about it, because it is a rippling effect.

I love that watching Gotham's videos is not only a chess study, but also an english vocabulary study, as I am not a native english speaker and Gotham always uses some very hard words to me hahahahah.

I think that Magnus may have withdrawn due to a prep leak. As said in the video, I don’t think that Magnus would simply withdraw because he lost the game. In the post game interview, Hans said, “I was so lucky to have prepped this line today.” Not saying this is definitive proof, just a theory.

Just as a side note, the chess courses link in the description leads to a 404 error. I hope you can fix it soon because I'm somewhat interested in buying some and I think others might be as well.

Very interesting commentary and take for some people like me who like chess but don't follow or play much, very cool video , subscribed and looking for more great content

Love the Lil Britain reference "computer says no!" 🤣 I loved that show!!!

Can the tournament scanners pick up a microreceiver hidden beneath the skin behind one ear? This is not a joke. That is technology now available.

I need some evidence, until then, Hans is innocent imo. As far as cheating, the only thing that sounds plausible to me is if Magnus' prep was leaked. Curious to hear more about this because it seems pretty out of character for Magnus to act this way after a loss.

His bio has always said “ beating someone once isn’t revenge” but go off

you have the best and most entertaining chess channel on youtube, imo. hard to explain, but to me you just get it. all of your videos deliver. thanks for all your efforts

Levy, I have confirmed Hans was using a Bluetooth prostate massager to have moves relayed to him in Morse code. Please do not ask how I have done it, but just know I have now acquired the very device Hans was using. I can confirm it is very strong and after 1 hour of use, I am very tired myself. This fatigue might explain Hans’ inability to analyze the games in the post game interviews.

Levy is a fantastic presence in the community. Levy if you read this I hope your anxiety isn’t keeping you locked up, you’re a huge inspiration to me and the main man when it comes to who I think of that pushes through it. Thanks for all you do!

Love your passion mate... folk who love their hobby is great

Love this guy’s breakdowns

Levy, I love how you can keep an unbiased perspective on events like this.

as a fan of Anna Rudolf, and how those allegations affected her. I'm gonna hold reservations

This guy: I'm all about the facts here Also this guy: Would Magus make such allagations if there were no grounds? I'm certainly gonna speculate that he wouldn't...

Damn I really skipped the the Hans game and he called me out instantly 😂😂😂Gotham is always one step ahead

I don't comment on videos often but extremely level headed take by Levy. I respect that... especially in media which is an industry that rewards hot takes that are made quickly

I’m glad I’m not the only one that hates Queen and pawn endgames

He might have a pacemaker installed and gets information from differences in heartbeats

i just love that he calls us out for skipping ahead

I think hans made a blunder by giving interview, he should have just said "chess speaks for itself" and moved on

Absolutely love your content, Levy. Keep up the great work, and thanks for all the great courses as well.

Bro that call out for skipping ahead was legendary 🤣🤣🤣

It's the biggest cheating scandal with absolutely no evidence of cheating lmao

The truth is Magnus played an obscure line that people don’t have knowledge on, on purpose to prove his theory that Hans was cheating and hans took the bait perfectly and played the line like a bot because he “miraculously “ practiced the exact line the night before without being able to explain the theory behind it

Hey Levy. I usually lurk here, but I was absolutely stunned by the antisemitism in your pin of shame today and so wanted to speak up. You do an amazing job, and you've made a positive difference to loads of people. Sorry you have to deal with such cretins. Keep doing what you're doing. Thanks for everything.

"beating someone once..."was there for a very-very long time

Levy is actually funnier than most youtubers nowadays

Currently living in St. Louis and been going to this tournament a few times as a spectator, they have a lot of security. They have metal detectors, the guards scan you, and yoy have to check your phone in before you can spectate the players.

Magnus has the "beating someone once isn't revenge" for a long time actually, he didn't change it just now

Besides real-time cheating, you could have game-prep cheating (finding out exactly what preps your opponent was doing). A little more subtle, but possible.

Levy you should get some sound isolation panels or something to cut down on reverb and clear up sound a bit. Good video as always love ya!

Hi Gotham. I just wanted to say I appreciate your comments about anxiety in the video. They were subtle but very important to me. I had a very unproductive day because I was extremely anxious about this and I felt silly about it because it’s not relevant to me personally at all. I’ve felt so silly and stupid for wasting so much time exploring and watching this unfold, but knowing I’m not alone and that you also have felt this anxiety about the situation is extremely reassuring and validating. So for that, thank you.

if hans did cheat, his career in chess is over however if he didnt cheat i really REALLY feel bad for him. 1.his biggest moment ever got over shadowed by drama 2.his image got way worse forever (until proven otherwise) 3.and now there is a chance he wont get first place in the tournament just because his win against magnus does not count.

Your memory recall is great, I don’t know chess well, but even I found this competition exciting. You explained it well enough that I could understand most of it. Subbed.

Thanks for the intro Levy, I think you did a great job and I 100% agree with you

Wow I honestly just assumed this was going to be "Someone refused to shake hands. It's not really a rule but people are really sour about it" but this is actually a chess scandal.

OMG! Thanks for the Little Britain reference- "Computer says no"!!! Love the channel as well, keep up the hilarious, insightful and mostly NON_ARROGANT coverage!

Just found your channel and I love your style of commentating. Subscribed

just a tiny light outside the window going on and off in a specific rythm sending morse code or just any minuscule object vibrating inside or outside hans's body is also enough to cheat, it really does not take much and although I have no idea what if anything even had been used by hans but I am ihghly suspicious and feel for magnus

Magnus reaches an opening position that he’s never played before yet Hans apparently prepped it 20 moves deep…

Caruana and Maxime's game is insane. As a beginner that was so complex and hearth throbbing

This pin of shame thing is gonna spawn a new speedrun category...

Hans Niemann looks like a Bond villain, not the strong beefy one but the mastermind behind everything

I want to see you guess the Elo of Hans' analysis of his own game.

Simplest explanation is that when Magnus heard Hans prepped for a line he had never played, Magnus smelled strong BS.

i mean i can believe it, some of the biggest video game tournament have caught people actively cheating when its in person

I think it's actually most likely he got Magnus's prep. Like there's no way Magnus is treating his prep like some kind of national secret intellectual property with two factor authentication

TBF Peter and Yasser did a great job taking us through that endgame

“Understandable but my god would it be devastating” is one of the most poetic Levi quotes I’ve heard

Holy crap. You're rapidly approaching 2 million subscribers! Congrats, my dude!

If he didn't cheat then Magnus deprived him of a genuine victory and the accolades he deserved for it.

Honestly, all that comments about the interview after the match with Alireza seem to forget about the fact, that this day was strange for all players, let alone Hans. Imagine if he maybe is really innocent and you are still supposed to continue the tournament and give interviews and analysis. Ofc you might be nervous, even if you're innocent. Not saying he IS innocent, but still people should maybe consider this. And don't say why should he be nervous, if he doesn't have anything to hide: that line is and was always bullshit...

Ιt would be amazing if you can show or mention the clip of Levon commenting about the whole drama. The man is a true gentleman and what he said is such a bliss for the chess world.

Gotham Chess: people just don't withdraw from tournaments Bobby Fischer:

Tx, Levy. Great work as always.

Gothamchess I really aspire to be as good as you are at chess. Keep making videos I love watching these, you’re by far the most entertaining chess KZfaqr

It was good that you repeatedly pointed to the most basic but also the most important thing in this matter: We need evidence before we can reach any conclusion!

"I'm sorry this is gonna be a light screen" Was the best warning ive got from a youtuber, love it

Yoooo I’m dead 🤣🤣 I skipped right thru the video onto the ad revenue section, gotta go watch all the games now

Magnus suspected that there was a mole - a leaker - in his inner circle, someone very close to him. So he prepped an obscure line he had never played before, and his suspicions were confirmed when Hans fell for the trap - Hans admitted in the post game interview that it was "a miracle" that he prepped for that opening in the morning prior to the game - yeah sure. Magnus did not bolt the tournament because he lost a game - he stormed out due to his feelings of a supreme betrayal. In time - we will find out who his Judas was - Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins.

Original title: "Biggest SCANDAL In Chess History" Levy's probably going to change it again.

that money sculpture behind is very pricey piece of art!

7:20 God I love you levi 🤣😂 Glad we have this chess moment tbh though i feel bad for both person involved *hans & magnus cuz they are just going to speculate to oblivion lmao

Drama is exactly what chess needed with the state of preparation

You, sir....are my new Go-to in chess News. Along with Rick, from Chess to Express. I love chess, but I'm too busy to follow it on a daily basis. You're now hired to fill me in

I swear the Hans line, is every single line when you get paired with a fresh cheater at 1200 xD

I can't imagine how he could have snuck in an engine, unless he hid it in his chapstick or something.

Eh, there's no way this is bigger drama than the Eagles saga at this early stage. That was also super-GM level chess, there was actual evidence of cheating rather than just bad vibes, and not to mention it brought us the iconic "PIPI in Pampers" corncob rant. If evidence actually comes out, then maybe.

I can get a grasp of people cheating “on the big stage” After some guy was caught cheating in poker, on a livestream, nothing surprises me about people who cheat

This sounds like the origin story of genius super-villain.

Either Magnus knows something we don't but will find out soon OR we may be witnessing a sliw decent into paranoia and madness like Fischer

"unresolved drama" also leaves me uneasy; I always feel like nothing's gonna happen, when something SHOULD happen... If he cheated, then what should happen is obvious, but if he didn't cheat, then nothing will ever happen, and we won't know whether nothing happened because he's legit, or nothing happened because he was smart enough not to get caught. Kinda leaves a bad taste. That's why cheating accusations should always be made when there's a STRONG suspicion, not just a gut feeling. Because even if no evidence is ever brought up, it kinda leaves a taint on the game (or the sport, or whatever it is). Which I'm sure Magnus is aware of, so unless he's just being butthurt about losing a game, makes me feel like he does have that strong suspicion. Anyway, I would hope for something to be resolved, but I doubt we'll get anything. I would want some more statements from the parties involved, but we may not get that either.

I just started watching chess and getting into the chess world LAST WEEK. What great timing 😂

Oh yeah, I am definitely in the phase of playing the Vienna against anything.

He bouta speak for himself 💀