An American teenager, Hans Niemann, defeated Magnus Carlsen, the world’s best chess player. Then Mr. Carlsen accused his opponent of cheating. It’s either overdue justice or paranoia.
The day before he beat the greatest chess player in the world, Hans Niemann was a curly-haired 19-year-old American known only to serious fans of the game and mostly as an abrasive jerk. Everyone, it seems, has a story. Like that time in June, when he’d lost in the finals of a tournament in Prague, then stood in the ballroom of the hotel where the event was held and ranted against the city and the accommodations.
The quick ascent of Tani Adewumi continues. The likeable Nigerian boy who made the news three years ago while still living in a homeless shelter has collected his second IM norm in New York. Tani is only 11 years old, but has already shown a fierce playing style and a solid work ethic. These factors bode well for his chances to become an elite player in the future. | Photos: <a href="https://twitter.com/TaniAdewumi">Tani’s Twitter account</a> (second norm on the left)
While it did not affect the reigning champion’s title, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa of India defeated Carlsen in the middle of the night during a rapid online tournament, stunning the chess world.