It was the scandal that rocked the chess world. The game's foremost player, Magnus Carlsen, was unbeaten in 53 games before self-taught grandmaster Hans Niemann, 20, shattered his run in September 2022. But the outcome would snatch headlines for different reasons. Niemann had cheated, Carlsen claimed - and promptly withdrew from the $500,000 Sinquefield Cup.Rumours spread quickly, prompting absurd suggestions on how a player could cheat at such a high level. Among the most ludicrous, the suggestion Niemann could have used a vibrating set of anal beads to communicate in a kind of Morse code with others watching the match remotely.Niemann denied the allegations he cheated and, this September, directly addressed the claims in an interview with . Asked, 'on the specific allegation – have you ever used anal beads while playing chess', Niemann said resolutely: 'Your curiosity is a bit concerning, you know – maybe you're personally interested, but I can tell you, no.'
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