Magnus Carlsen resigned from the match without explanation amid an apparent feud with his great teammate Hans Niemann

CNN
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Shortly after he made the first move, the world champion Magnus Carlsen He quit an online chess match against fellow senior Hans Niemann on Monday.

The pair were playing in the Julius Baer Generation Cup when Carlsen turned off his screen and left the match without explanation – the latest twist in an apparent feud between the players.

“We will try to get an update on this,” commentator Tanya Sachdev He said Live broadcast of Chess 24 Match. “Magnus Carlsen just quit – he got up and left, turned off his camera and that’s all we know now.”

CNN contacted Carlsen’s representatives for comment but did not receive a response.

Earlier this month, the Norwegian withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis after his shock defeat to American star Neiman – the first time he has pulled out of a tournament in his career, according to chess24.

Carlsen confirmed his withdrawal today TwitterHe posts: “I’ve pulled out of the tournament. I’ve always enjoyed playing at @STLChessClub, and I hope to come back in the future.” Carlsen’s tweet also included a popular video of football manager Jose Mourinho saying, “If I talk, I’m in big trouble.”

Another great teacher, Hikaru Nakamura, He said Carlsen was “suspicious” of Neiman’s behavior, and days after the Sincofield Cup match, Neeman publicly responded to allegations that he cheated earlier in his chess career.

The 19-year-old admitted cheating at ages 12 and 16, but said in an interview with the St. Louis Chess Club that he never cheated in team games.

“I’m telling my truth because I don’t want any distortion,” Neiman said. “I am proud of myself for having learned from this mistake, and now I have given everything to chess. I have sacrificed everything for chess.”

The tension between Neiman and Carlsen shook the chess community. Niemann said he was removed from the popular Chess.com after Carlsen’s tweet and that “social media and the chess world are totally attacking and undermining me.”

“Seeing my absolute hero (Carlsen) trying to target, trying to ruin my reputation, ruining my chess career, and doing it in a frivolous way is really disappointing,” he added.

Neither Neiman nor Chess.com responded to CNN’s request for comment.

in statement On September 8, Chess.com’s Chief Chess Officer Danny Rench said the site “has shared detailed evidence with [Niemann] regarding our decision, including information that conflicts with his statements regarding the amount and seriousness of fraud.”

We invited Hans to provide an explanation and response in hopes of finding a solution where Hans can participate again on Chess.com.

Carlsen and Neiman played two more matches against other opponents after the former’s sudden resignation on Monday. Carlsen is two points behind leader Argon Erigesi in the championship standings after eight rounds, while Neiman is four points behind.

“He (Carlsen) seems to be clearly hinting at something, but until you hold someone, you can’t do anything,” said Anish Giri, who is also in the Julius Baer Generation Cup. Chess 24.

“It seems very strange now. Obviously everything makes sense if Hans, he’s supposed to be cheating and he doesn’t want to play with him, but if he’s not (cheating), it’s really wrong.

“So I don’t know, we’ll have to see. Again, everybody’s expecting some sort of big bunny out of the hat with Magnus, but he doesn’t want to play Hans, it seems.”

Levon Aronian, who also takes part in the tournament, said Neiman “wasn’t the cleanest person when it came to online chess,” but added that “this is a problem that requires a solution.”