– I recognize myself very well. It reminds me very much of what happened back in 2015, Boye Brogeland tells news. After a match against Israeli Lotan Fisher and Ron Schwartz back in 2015, the bridge player was convinced that he had been exposed to foul play. This led to him taking matters into his own hands and reporting fraud. There was only one problem. At the time, he had no evidence to present, and it led to enormous drama in the community. The fans were divided in their opinions, but the support was great. Several people got together to analyze the game of the Israeli players, and finally the evidence came that made the cheating scandal complete. Subsequently, Boye Brogeland was mentioned in dozens of international media, including in the New York Times, Rolling Stone and Daily Mail. The chess drama between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann has many similarities to this story, and now Brogeland tells about what it was like to be the one who warns about cheating. Rosar Carlsen’s way Brogeland is today referred to as a “sheriff” in the community. He doesn’t particularly like that. – I don’t feel that it was a role I wanted to have, but there are probably many people who think that I was so central, that I was the one who came out against the cheating, he says. HEIDRA: In 2016, Brogeland received a diploma from the local Rotary club, for his efforts against cheating in sport. Photo: Anders Fehn / news Brogeland said that he had been in contact with several players in the community who suspected cheating, but that there were few who were willing to go out with debts until they had proof. Therefore, he took matters into his own hands. Today, he pays tribute to Carlsen’s way of tackling the problem. – I think his way is very good. He doesn’t necessarily need to involve himself as much as I did. All my time was spent on this. He sent an incredibly strong signal by withdrawing from the tournament, says Brogeland. – Incredibly demanding It would take about four months before the cheating was uncovered. During that period, Brogeland slept 4–5 hours every night. The only thing on his mind was finding evidence, and all his free time was spent on analyses. – What was it like to sit on such a feeling, and then share it on the internet without proof? – It was incredibly demanding during the period when it was at its worst. Those I went out against had been my own teammates, and who were my friends, says Brogeland. Nevertheless, he was convinced that he had to trust his gut feeling. – I felt that it was completely crazy for me if I hadn’t done anything. Bridge loses all its value if you know people are cheating, he says. He did not think about the fear of being sued, despite threats of lawsuits. Together with his wife, he moved to a secret address. – It wasn’t good to keep going like this for a long period of time, but the adrenaline and motivation meant that you managed to keep going, he says. He thinks Magnus Carlsen feels the same way. – He has made up his mind, and is investing everything in cleaning up. It is completely hopeless if players are left with extra information. It will be a crazy unfair game. A good player who cheats is impossible to beat, both in chess and bridge, says Brogeland. This is how the community understood the cheating The bridge cheating itself until Fisher and Schwartz was uncovered through video clips from the competition. Detailed analyzes showed how the bridge pair gave information to each other in connection with counterplay. They did this by placing the card folder in specific places on the table, and could therefore indicate the strength of a specific suit (clubs, diamonds, hearts or spades). Later, other players were caught cheating after suspicions were raised about how the players laid the cards on the table. By placing the card vertically or horizontally, one could tell the partner whether it was a good or bad card. – I received so much help from all over the world. The fact that people analyzed the game meant that we eventually found evidence that it was actually cheating, says Brogeland. It was an enormous relief when the evidence came. Now he believes that the same development will happen in the chess drama. – It seems that Magnus has sensed that things are happening that are not entirely logical, and one becomes suspicious. Now he is completely convinced that there is something wrong, he says. Logic comes into play Nevertheless, it is not easy to stand in such a situation until all the evidence is on the table. – There are many who are negative, since no evidence has been presented. That’s how it was for me. People thought I blamed the Israelis for cheating, because I lost that match, says Brogeland. He continues: – But when I went in and analyzed the game afterwards, there was no doubt. For a top player, much of the logic is self-evident. The experience gives a gut feeling that you actually have quite strong indications that something has happened, says Brogeland. Brogeland is certain that evidence will be presented in the future. – I think he has a good deal. That’s how it was for us. It’s one thing to think about yourself, but then you talk to people in the environment and listen more, he says. This week, Fide and Chess.com will present the findings from their investigations of Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann. It is not known exactly when it will arrive.
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This is how Boye Brogeland revealed the cheat – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
