Magnus Carlsen has previously refused to meet the American Hans Niemann – but now “he has no choice anymore”, believes news’s chess expert Torstein Bae. – Even though Carlsen has said he will never play against Niemann again, he has to crawl to the cross here, says Bae. But why? On 4 September 2022, the American beat Carlsen very surprisingly in a tournament in St. Louis, USA. The following day, Magnus Carlsen resigned and wrote at the same time on X: – I will get into big trouble if I say anything, with reference to the famous quote from football coach José Mourinho. CONTROVERSIAL FACE: Hans Niemann has been a controversial figure in the chess community for several years. In 2022, Magnus Carlsen pleaded guilty to cheating. Photo: TIM VIZER / AFP Around the world, the quote quickly became an accusation of cheating, and the whole thing came to a head a few days later when Carlsen gave up a game against Niemann in another tournament. Shortly afterwards, Niemann sued both the Norwegian and the chess website Chess.com. At one point, the American demanded over one billion kroner. Although the parties later came to an agreement and the conflict never became a trial, they have not met at the table since. WATCH VIDEO: Here, Magnus Carlsen gives up after two moves. – Would look stupid Before now. On Friday, they meet in Paris for the semifinals of the Speed Chess Championship. Here they will meet in a blitz chess variant, side by side on each of their PCs. The two have met each other three times in tournaments on Chess.com in 2024, which still includes a victory for Carlsen in two games and a draw in the third. The settlement, where they now physically meet, takes place almost to the day two years after the scandal in St. Louis. – Now Niemann has become so good that Magnus would only look stupid if he refused to meet him. He doesn’t really have a choice anymore, Bae says of Carlsen. – He would only be left with his beard in the mailbox if he boycotted this, he asserts. Because after two years of scandals and accusations of cheating, Hans Niemann has recently shown that he has something at the top of the world to do. This time without cheating debts. This has led him to a semi-final against Magnus Carlsen. – If Magnus Carlsen had not stood at the board, the chess world would have thought that he would not have had a chance to meet him. Our husband would hardly be aware of that. He will be eager to put the cupboard in place. – DON’T HAVE ANY CHOICE: That’s what news’s chess expert Torstein Bae says about Magnus Carlsen, who is pitted against Hans Niemann in the semifinals of the Speed Chess Championship. Photo: Erik Johansen / NTB Training with former Carlsen assistants Recently, it became known in the chess chat podcast that Jorden van Foreest, former assistant and training partner of Magnus Carlsen, has been training with the American 21-year-old. – I had a small training camp with him. I thought it would be interesting, because I have been a bit open to Hans, the Dutchman revealed in the episode. It is consistent with how Torstein Bae experiences Niemann’s reputation in 2024. – There are several things that point to Niemann being on the way to being accepted as part of the elite. – It is interesting that they play together. Niemann has long been referred to as a “persona non grata” that nobody wants anything to do with. In the podcast, Van Foreest talks about a rather small personal meeting with the controversial Niemann, where they hardly did anything other than play a little chess against each other. Van Foreest thinks Niemann can beat anyone on a good day. – Hans’ natural feeling for the game is incredibly high. He has a good sense of positioning, even if he can occasionally make a mistake. Personally, I see myself as a player with good understanding, but he outmaneuvered me in terms of positioning. It doesn’t happen often. He has many natural strengths because of that, he says in the podcast. Nevertheless, he is very much looking forward to Friday. – It is good for chess that these two guys with so much history have a “face-off”, two years after the famous match in St. Louis. TRAINING WITH NIEMANN: Dutch Jorden van Foreest has previously been close to Magnus Carlsen, but recently trained with arch-rival Hans Niemann. Photo: AFP – Real chance that he can beat Carlsen news expert Torstein Bae believes that the wind is about to turn for the American, and he believes that Niemann can actually blend into the world elite. – He impresses at the board, and it is becoming more and more indisputable that he is actually a good chess player. Then the cheating talk comes a little in the background. – What is impressive about Niemann is that he actually doesn’t just talk about becoming the world’s best. It’s easy. But he also does the job. And even if the Norwegian, referred to by many as the best of all time, is the big favourite, Bae has to admit: – There is a real chance that he can beat Carlsen. He is particularly good at blitz, and then he has an even better chance in this format. – The psychological game is unfamiliar even to Carlsen here. It is not usual to have such an aggressive relationship with the opponent. For Niemann, it is actually quite a feat to have managed to force Magnus to the board at all in Paris. For the record: The duo behind Jakksnakk, Odin Blikra Vea and Askild Bryn, have periodically been linked to news as chess experts. Published 06.09.2024, at 10.00
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Meiner Magnus Carlsen “will be forced” to Hans Niemann duel: – Would have looked stupid – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
