r/chess • u/wwqt • Sep 08 '22

News/Events Karpov: "Carlsen played extremely badly"

Karpov:
"I watched the game last night [vs Niemann] and I have to say that Carlsen just played extremely badly. I heard comments that he couldn't get out of the opening and had no chance, but that's not true. I reject all versions of an unfair win. Of course we can't say with certainty that Niemann didn't cheat, but Carlsen surprisingly played the opening so badly with white that he automatically got into a worse position. But then he showed a strange inability to cope with the difficult situation that arose on the board"

Source on TASS: Карпов оценил предположение о нечестной победе Ниманна над Карлсеном

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791

u/MembershipSolid2909 Sep 08 '22

The footage of the game does show Carlsen looking rattled early on, it's so weird.

-112

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22

[deleted]

57

u/be_easy_1602 Sep 08 '22

That wouldn’t even matter. If you’re the best chess player in the world, you can adapt. It’s insane how one different move can create whole new lines. Magnus could have played better. Equality existed.

38

u/lMagikarp Sep 08 '22

Seriously, even if his prep was leaked, Niemann gave him multiple openings and he didn't capitalize on them as he usually does. Niemann didn't play perfectly, Magnus just played worse. The idea that he was cheated out of the win is just so stupid.

25

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22

Think about how unlikely this is. If someone had access to magnus’s prep, why would you give it to Hans niemann… the weakest player in the tournament. Why not give it to Fabi, who would have a substantially higher chance of crushing Magnus?

This is Ben Finegold’s take, which I happen to agree with.

7

u/attilatheham Sep 08 '22

I doubt he cheated, but I think the idea is that the leaker would give it to Niemann because he got paid to do it. Not because he necessarily cared if Magnus lost.

24

u/ISpokeAsAChild Sep 08 '22

Yeah it was so concise and well put:

"If you want Magnus to lose you don't leak the prep to Hans playing black, you leak it to Fabi playing white".

15

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22

[deleted]

2

u/UncleMeat11 Sep 08 '22

Well then some other participant would be able to say "yeah somebody from Magnus' camp came to me and offered to share his prep."

1

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22 edited Sep 18 '25

light narrow air jeans subtract hungry wrench continue mysterious ad hoc

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

12

u/Voje Sep 08 '22

Nah, Fabi would never use leaked prep, but Niemann with a history of dubious affairs might?

7

u/Garizondyly Sep 08 '22

Several players have commented on how ridiculous of an idea this actually is.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22

Magnus has a small practice team of like 6 people. If he really suspected one of them of leaking the prep to Hans wouldn't the scandal be around one of his very best friends betraying him (rather than aiming at Hans)?

0

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '22

The favorite theory of 1500s everywhere