FIDE Fair Play Commission forwards their report on the Carlsen-Niemann case to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission

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, accusing Hans Niemann of cheating “more and more recently than he has publicly admitted”.

Top grandmasters and chess journalists asked FIDE to react on the case. Hikaru Nakamura and Daniel Naroditsky concluded on the stream that it’s very tricky that online chess platforms for playing don’t have any agreements with FIDE, and that there should be clear communication between the main online servers and FIDE on the matter of cheating. English chess master Leonard Barden, The Guardian’s chess columnist, asked FIDE to step in, while GM Nigel Davies stated that the FIDE Ethics Commission should act if Carlsen does not give a public statement on the case. FIDE Director General Emil Sutovsky said that FIDE is concerned about recent developments of Carlsen – Niemann case and confirmed that FIDE will publish the official statement on the case.

After publishing the official statement, the FIDE Fair Play commission updated the public on the case. In the statement published today, FIDE Fair Play Commission informs that the FPL unanimously adopted the 30-page report on the Carlsen/Niemann incident and forwarded it to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission for further consideration. The content of the report will stay confidential to protect the procedure itself and all interested parties.

The full statement by the FIDE Fair Play Commission:

On February 17, the Fair Play Commission (FPL) unanimously adopted the report on the Carslen/Niemann incident drafted by the Panel tasked with investigating the case, composed of Klaus Deventer (chair), Vincent Geeraets and Salomeja Zaksaite.

On February 20, the 30-page report was forwarded to the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EC) for further consideration. 

EDC’s nominated panel will assess the FPL’s findings and reach a decision on the case within six weeks.

Pursuant to Art. 5 of the EDC Procedural Rules, until a decision is made, the contents of the Report shall be kept confidential to protect the procedure itself and all interested parties. Until then, no further comment on the matter shall be released by any FPL, EDC member, or any other FIDE official.