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There are as many possible chess games
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00:00:23,189 --> 00:00:25,233
as atoms in the visible universe.
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00:00:27,694 --> 00:00:30,237
31-year-old Norwegian Magnus Carlsen
4
00:00:30,238 --> 00:00:32,198
is the current World Chess Champion.
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00:00:34,659 --> 00:00:39,080
{\an8}…reigns supreme in a sport played
by 500 million people.
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00:00:39,956 --> 00:00:43,584
{\an8}Magnus must remember
the position of 320 pieces
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00:00:43,585 --> 00:00:47,504
{\an8}while calculating ten moves
and countermoves on each board.
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00:00:47,505 --> 00:00:50,049
Magnus wins on all boards.
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00:00:50,050 --> 00:00:55,096
I can see these things
immediately, where other people see chaos.
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{\an8}That is that, ladies
and gentlemen. Carlsen has won…
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00:01:01,936 --> 00:01:02,978
Magnus Carlsen…
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00:01:02,979 --> 00:01:07,192
Magnus Carlsen has this edge mentally
that nobody else possesses.
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I've been the definite best player
in the world now for 12 to 13 years.
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Magnus Carlsen is doing things
no human being I've met before can do.
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Do you consider yourself a genius?
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Do I ever wonder
why he was given this gift?
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Are we living in a simulation?
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I'm Magnus Carlsen.
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00:01:30,048 --> 00:01:32,007
Magnus Carlsen.
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The Mozart of Chess!
One of the great geniuses of our time…
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00:01:35,470 --> 00:01:39,307
- Please welcome Magnus Carlsen!
- The reigning five-time world champion.
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00:01:44,646 --> 00:01:49,608
Magnus Carlsen was defeated
in a major upset at the Sinquefield Cup.
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00:01:49,609 --> 00:01:51,610
Magnus Carlsen just resigned.
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Carlsen lost to this younger player.
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Sending the chess world into chaos.
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00:01:58,618 --> 00:02:00,869
Does chess make you insane?
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Or does chess keepyou sane?
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One of the greatest
chess champions of all time
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00:02:05,875 --> 00:02:08,335
{\an8}is accusing a fellow player of cheating.
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He explicitly accused
19-year-old American Hans Niemann.
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All I did was play a chess game,
and I beat him.
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00:02:15,093 --> 00:02:17,970
He's entered a level of paranoia
that is not, like, sane.
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00:02:17,971 --> 00:02:19,721
He's created a monster.
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And while he's old,
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I'm gonna be young, improving.
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And the best player,
he's gonna have to watch.
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00:02:24,936 --> 00:02:28,231
And every fucking day of his life,
he's gonna have to realize that
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he did this to me.
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The community
doesn't like people who cheat.
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Of course it's fucking coordinated.
It's a genuine conspiracy against me.
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Just, people think he's cheating.
It's as simple as that.
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They think I'm cheating. Are they crazy?
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00:02:43,246 --> 00:02:46,624
- Is Hans cheating over the board?
- This is war, isn't it?
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00:02:47,667 --> 00:02:50,336
They did this all
because of a personal vendetta.
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00:02:52,172 --> 00:02:55,675
Have you ever used anal beads
while playing chess?
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00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,834
Sometimes I wonder
how my life would be without chess.
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00:03:32,837 --> 00:03:35,340
And I think it's a blessing and a curse.
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I've thought about this a lot.
Like, what price do you pay for genius?
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{\an8}Because of course, my mind, you know,
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00:03:45,433 --> 00:03:50,312
{\an8}is capable of things that, you know,
make me a pretty good chess player
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00:03:50,313 --> 00:03:54,900
and good at other things,
but that comes with an emotional price,
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and that's probably
why I was never normal.
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00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,242
When I told my parents at 16,
"I'm gonna move to New York,
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00:04:03,243 --> 00:04:06,287
I'm gonna live alone, pay for rent,"
they… everyone called me crazy.
55
00:04:09,249 --> 00:04:11,625
But I knew
that I needed to prove to myself
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I could be the best chess player
in the world.
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00:04:14,420 --> 00:04:17,130
And that took precedent
over living with my family
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and having security.
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There was periods where I didn't speak
to a single person for two months.
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But… I used to go on
these 30-hour benders. I wouldn't sleep.
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And I would literally just stay up,
solving chess puzzles nonstop.
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I just consumed
everything I could about chess.
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{\an8}I liked to watch interviews
with past players.
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00:04:46,286 --> 00:04:47,577
{\an8}I'd analyze their games.
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00:04:47,578 --> 00:04:50,623
I'd be working on the openings,
absorbing everything I could.
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00:04:51,124 --> 00:04:54,876
Bobby saw six moves ahead here.
He just didn't seeseven moves ahead.
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00:04:54,877 --> 00:04:57,337
I'd sit at my computer
for 12 to 16 hours a day,
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just playing thousands of games a month.
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And I understood
that the only way for me to improve
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00:05:03,344 --> 00:05:05,512
was to play against people
much better than me.
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Every opportunity for me to play
against the best players in the world
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was a chance to just absorb that strength.
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And every single top player
is playing on Chess.com.
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It's the entire fucking chess ecosystem.
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00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:21,821
There's no alternative.
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00:05:24,907 --> 00:05:26,784
They have a monopoly over online chess.
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00:05:30,913 --> 00:05:34,292
It would be correct to say we don't look
like the average chess player.
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00:05:35,877 --> 00:05:40,505
When I say "chess player," people
think of an old white guy from Russia.
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{\an8}"Chess is not cool. It's super hard."
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00:05:42,967 --> 00:05:46,261
{\an8}"It's only for nerds.
It's not something that's for me."
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00:05:46,262 --> 00:05:50,308
{\an8}And that's really a big reason
why Chess.com has the "pawn" as the logo.
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Because chess is for the pawns.
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00:05:52,769 --> 00:05:56,189
The pawn potential to move up the board
and be whatever you want to be.
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00:05:58,066 --> 00:05:59,942
Chess is for everybody.
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00:06:04,739 --> 00:06:07,075
Welcome to
anotherUnder the Green Pawn.
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00:06:07,742 --> 00:06:12,079
Chess.com started as an idea in 2005
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that I wanted to build
the MySpace of chess.
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We officially opened in May of 2007.
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Here's the hall. Wish me luck.
See you on the other side.
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But it was really small potatoes.
91
00:06:24,217 --> 00:06:27,761
I was turning down jobs
at Facebook and Palantir and YouTube,
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00:06:27,762 --> 00:06:30,222
and everybody in Silicon Valley
was telling us
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00:06:30,223 --> 00:06:32,849
chess would never be big enough
to be investable
94
00:06:32,850 --> 00:06:36,186
and just kind of like
laughing us out of the office a bit.
95
00:06:36,187 --> 00:06:37,604
We were always the underdog.
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00:06:37,605 --> 00:06:39,023
Till COVID.
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Today the World Health Organization
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00:06:43,111 --> 00:06:46,530
officially announced
that this is a global pandemic.
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00:06:46,531 --> 00:06:50,326
Imagine there's no heaven
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00:06:53,413 --> 00:06:54,579
The murder hornet--
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00:06:54,580 --> 00:06:57,707
- I think it's a filter.
- I don't know how to remove it.
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00:06:57,708 --> 00:07:00,669
The pandemic was absolutely bonkers,
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00:07:00,670 --> 00:07:03,464
but for chess, it was unreal.
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We could see it
in the server logs and registrations.
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{\an8}Each country that got locked down,
registration spike.
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{\an8}Italy was first to lock down.
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00:07:14,350 --> 00:07:16,060
{\an8}Registrations in Italy, boom.
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And next was India.
Registrations in India, boom.
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00:07:22,567 --> 00:07:25,569
And every country, as it got locked down,
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00:07:25,570 --> 00:07:28,990
registrations bumping up,
four or five x. Overnight.
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00:07:31,242 --> 00:07:32,826
{\an8}I thought we'd play some chess.
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00:07:32,827 --> 00:07:34,162
{\an8}I'd like to play chess.
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00:07:35,455 --> 00:07:39,583
And thenThe Queen's Gambit show
on Netflix came along.
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00:07:39,584 --> 00:07:42,711
{\an8}Those waves hit each other and spiked.
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At Chess.com this month,
more than two million new members.
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We literally did go
from a million daily active users
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to five, six million daily active people,
playing chess.
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It was crazy.
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What's the company currently worth?
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Probably… gettin' close
to a billion dollars in value.
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That's my guess.
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00:08:03,524 --> 00:08:06,902
Do I care?
Not really, but that's my guess.
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Fuck!
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During the pandemic,
we were constantly thinking about,
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00:08:11,324 --> 00:08:13,116
where is our next growth opportunity?
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00:08:13,117 --> 00:08:14,618
What the fuck just happened here?
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00:08:14,619 --> 00:08:17,412
And we saw influencers
playing chess en masse,
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like we'd never seen before.
129
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And it became my job
to choose the next stars
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and build the streaming program.
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- Send this to overtime!
- Change of queen!
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00:08:25,838 --> 00:08:28,507
Danny became maybe
the most important person
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00:08:28,508 --> 00:08:30,468
in the entire chess community.
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We changed chess yet again today.
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I love you andsalud.
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00:08:34,889 --> 00:08:37,557
You're in this position
where you're the gatekeeper,
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the key master
to someone's hopes and dreams.
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00:08:40,937 --> 00:08:42,855
And everybody wanted to be a star.
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00:08:43,731 --> 00:08:46,441
Get out of here!
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00:08:46,442 --> 00:08:50,904
You just got owned!
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Before the pandemic,
I didn't really know Hans Niemann.
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I knew--
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00:08:57,537 --> 00:08:58,745
Hans!
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You just got owned!
145
00:09:00,373 --> 00:09:02,332
All of the biggest chess creators,
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00:09:02,333 --> 00:09:04,585
people you see now
with millions of subscribers,
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00:09:05,169 --> 00:09:06,294
they were nobodies.
148
00:09:06,295 --> 00:09:10,633
And then Chess.com artif…
created their careers.
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00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:14,594
{\an8}Okay, finish him.
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00:09:14,595 --> 00:09:17,138
{\an8}Chess became a fad. It became a trend.
151
00:09:17,139 --> 00:09:19,015
{\an8}When there's a trend, everyone follows.
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00:09:19,016 --> 00:09:22,269
Yo, 2,700 viewers. Damn.
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00:09:22,270 --> 00:09:24,854
These guys are…
You guys are enjoying this.
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There's always opportunity
if you look for it.
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00:09:27,858 --> 00:09:30,860
So, I just start streaming
on Twitch every single day.
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00:09:30,861 --> 00:09:32,529
Dude, you watch Twitch?
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00:09:32,530 --> 00:09:34,906
- Are you Hans Niemann?
- I'm Hans Niemann!
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00:09:34,907 --> 00:09:36,199
Oh shit! Yo!
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00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,953
Here was a young talented American…
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00:09:40,204 --> 00:09:42,789
…with an insane amount of self-confidence.
161
00:09:42,790 --> 00:09:46,001
Let's be civil, let's be mature,
and let's continue with the show.
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He's got bravado.
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00:09:47,003 --> 00:09:48,004
Yeah!
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00:09:49,505 --> 00:09:53,466
And it made sense for us to work together
and help him become a streaming star.
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I became someone who was mentoring him.
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00:09:55,928 --> 00:09:58,847
{\an8}Speaking of our participants,
they're ready to roll.
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00:09:58,848 --> 00:10:00,140
{\an8}As we see Hans Niemann,
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00:10:00,141 --> 00:10:03,059
{\an8}he's got his Doritos,
which is hisfavoritos snack.
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00:10:03,060 --> 00:10:07,440
{\an8}Everything about our relationship
was met with a full partnership.
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00:10:08,190 --> 00:10:10,275
And Hans was special to us.
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00:10:10,276 --> 00:10:12,027
{\an8}Rook e7.
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00:10:12,028 --> 00:10:13,653
{\an8}Suck my balls.
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00:10:13,654 --> 00:10:15,156
I had quite a big fan base.
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00:10:17,908 --> 00:10:19,535
The rage is not for the camera.
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Unfortunately, it's just how I am.
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Tick tock, tick, tick, tick!
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00:10:24,957 --> 00:10:26,958
What set me apart from other streamers
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00:10:26,959 --> 00:10:30,253
was everyone else was so boring
that I seemed interesting in contrast.
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00:10:30,254 --> 00:10:33,966
How! How is he so smart?!
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00:10:35,301 --> 00:10:37,011
All right, let's play something slow.
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00:10:37,511 --> 00:10:41,390
Nothing fancy-schmancy.
Just keep it very slow and controlled.
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00:10:43,017 --> 00:10:44,935
I am Hikaru Nakamura.
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00:10:45,478 --> 00:10:47,187
I am a grandmaster.
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00:10:47,188 --> 00:10:50,523
{\an8}Currently ranked number three in the world
at the great game of chess.
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00:10:50,524 --> 00:10:54,986
{\an8}Computer will tell you guys if I'm wrong,
but I think king f6, is the only…
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00:10:54,987 --> 00:10:57,155
Hans, he's someone
I would compete against,
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00:10:57,156 --> 00:10:58,531
playing blitz games online.
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00:10:58,532 --> 00:11:01,368
It was very clear he was a strong player.
No doubt about it.
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00:11:01,369 --> 00:11:03,787
Whoa, what? No, this is insane.
190
00:11:03,788 --> 00:11:07,083
But I didn't really particularly care
for his brand of antics.
191
00:11:09,794 --> 00:11:13,254
The old-school chess establishment,
the view is you have to be very proper.
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00:11:13,255 --> 00:11:16,758
You win, you say, "I won the game."
You lose, "Guy played better than me."
193
00:11:16,759 --> 00:11:18,510
My congratulations, sir.
194
00:11:18,511 --> 00:11:20,179
A brilliant coup.
195
00:11:20,763 --> 00:11:22,555
But Hans is very wild.
196
00:11:22,556 --> 00:11:24,808
When he lost games,
he would scream, he'd yell.
197
00:11:24,809 --> 00:11:27,644
When he'd win games, he'd be like,
"I'm the greatest in the world."
198
00:11:27,645 --> 00:11:28,770
I am a God.
199
00:11:28,771 --> 00:11:32,858
Now, sit the fuck down
and get with the flow.
200
00:11:33,651 --> 00:11:36,111
You know, why not? Why not speak my mind?
201
00:11:36,112 --> 00:11:38,196
Some people like that. Some people don't.
202
00:11:38,197 --> 00:11:41,032
So while the fans enjoyed it,
there are people in the chess world
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00:11:41,033 --> 00:11:43,785
who were not fans of that
and thought it was disrespectful,
204
00:11:43,786 --> 00:11:47,622
and it wasn't fitting
for someone who was a serious player.
205
00:11:47,623 --> 00:11:49,332
Players would talk about it.
206
00:11:49,333 --> 00:11:50,917
"Why does he do this, do that?"
207
00:11:50,918 --> 00:11:52,460
And they think it's so crazy,
208
00:11:52,461 --> 00:11:56,464
but in the world of sports,
it's not that crazy. It's normal.
209
00:11:56,465 --> 00:11:58,466
First of all, people are absolute idiots
210
00:11:58,467 --> 00:12:00,969
because the explanation
I'm gonna give is gonna make
211
00:12:00,970 --> 00:12:02,721
all the top GMs look like idiots.
212
00:12:02,722 --> 00:12:06,641
Why doI have to be held to the standard
of being so polite and nice?
213
00:12:06,642 --> 00:12:09,561
Nice guys, you know,
they finish last, as they say.
214
00:12:09,562 --> 00:12:10,938
And I'm not a nice guy.
215
00:12:11,522 --> 00:12:14,275
You can't be a nice guy
and be a champion, unfortunately.
216
00:12:38,966 --> 00:12:42,552
I've sometimes
just found it very surprising
217
00:12:42,553 --> 00:12:45,556
that I'm the best
in the world at something.
218
00:12:50,478 --> 00:12:54,356
'Cause I don't
consider myself particularly remarkable.
219
00:12:55,149 --> 00:12:59,068
{\an8}I know that I'm relatively bright,
but I'm not a genius.
220
00:12:59,069 --> 00:13:01,154
{\an8}Like, I'm not something amazing.
221
00:13:01,155 --> 00:13:04,616
I only know that
when I sit down at the board,
222
00:13:04,617 --> 00:13:07,661
I am better than the other guy.
223
00:13:13,918 --> 00:13:18,755
I sometimes feel
as though I don't deserve it.
224
00:13:18,756 --> 00:13:23,135
I feel like, at times,
it's come kind of easy to me.
225
00:13:24,637 --> 00:13:28,765
There are probably people
who have worked a lot harder
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00:13:28,766 --> 00:13:31,727
who haven't reached as far.
227
00:13:33,312 --> 00:13:35,313
What do you know about Hans?
228
00:13:35,314 --> 00:13:37,565
I had played him a couple of times online.
229
00:13:37,566 --> 00:13:41,110
And it was, at times, quite entertaining
230
00:13:41,111 --> 00:13:44,280
'cause his mood swings
would be pretty wild.
231
00:13:44,281 --> 00:13:46,950
Chat, we're playing fucking Magnus!
232
00:13:46,951 --> 00:13:48,993
We're playing Magnus Carlsen!
233
00:13:48,994 --> 00:13:51,371
I was just this kid
who didn't view himself
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00:13:51,372 --> 00:13:53,081
as this potential champion.
235
00:13:53,082 --> 00:13:55,251
And suddenly, here I am, playing Magnus.
236
00:13:56,293 --> 00:13:59,796
Playing the world champion,
a player I've looked up to for so long.
237
00:13:59,797 --> 00:14:01,256
So of course I'm excited.
238
00:14:01,257 --> 00:14:02,466
Holy shit!
239
00:14:03,259 --> 00:14:08,597
He was pretty decent,
but I still won the game quite easily.
240
00:14:09,390 --> 00:14:11,976
Mate. Very pleasing.
241
00:14:14,061 --> 00:14:20,234
He's a good player
who happens to be American and talk a lot.
242
00:14:22,027 --> 00:14:24,279
There's a clip that I watch back.
243
00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,241
And in this clip, I say like,
"You might not believe in me."
244
00:14:28,242 --> 00:14:30,118
"You might all think I'm crazy, but…"
245
00:14:30,119 --> 00:14:32,912
There will be a day
where I take down Magnus
246
00:14:32,913 --> 00:14:36,917
and where I rise to the best in the world!
247
00:14:37,793 --> 00:14:41,671
And you guys will be there
every single step of the way.
248
00:14:41,672 --> 00:14:44,883
There was a journey behind it.
People wanted to see the underdog kid
249
00:14:44,884 --> 00:14:47,635
overcome the top players in the world.
250
00:14:47,636 --> 00:14:49,679
We've got fucking so many GMs,
251
00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,932
and the little IM,
who no one thought could do it,
252
00:14:52,933 --> 00:14:54,310
fucking qualified!
253
00:14:54,894 --> 00:14:57,645
I won like 30 grand a month on Chess.com.
254
00:14:57,646 --> 00:14:59,565
I was one of
the best players on the website.
255
00:15:02,192 --> 00:15:05,320
And I was beating all these,
you know, grandmasters.
256
00:15:05,321 --> 00:15:07,614
The top players in the world.
257
00:15:07,615 --> 00:15:11,327
I thought if I could beat them online,
why can't I beat them face to face?
258
00:15:12,036 --> 00:15:15,998
And I knew that I had to prove myself
to the chess world over the board.
259
00:15:19,126 --> 00:15:22,546
Over-the-board chess is
where two players sit down at a table.
260
00:15:24,006 --> 00:15:25,466
You play with a timer or clock.
261
00:15:28,010 --> 00:15:29,803
And you're playing face to face.
262
00:15:32,348 --> 00:15:36,060
Queen… to king 4.
263
00:15:38,020 --> 00:15:39,604
Over the board is intimate.
264
00:15:39,605 --> 00:15:42,399
You hear the breathing
of the person across from you.
265
00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,070
You can see their reaction
to the move that you make.
266
00:15:48,113 --> 00:15:52,368
And when you win, you can see the pain
in another person's eyes. Literally!
267
00:15:57,456 --> 00:15:59,374
I think we can make a clear distinction
268
00:15:59,375 --> 00:16:02,293
between online being this,
like, pick-up game,
269
00:16:02,294 --> 00:16:04,796
and over the board being the real deal.
270
00:16:04,797 --> 00:16:07,340
For the top players,
the over-the-board rankings,
271
00:16:07,341 --> 00:16:10,511
it is basically the current gold standard.
272
00:16:11,512 --> 00:16:14,013
The rating system
in chess is quite straightforward.
273
00:16:14,014 --> 00:16:15,723
You start from a rating of zero,
274
00:16:15,724 --> 00:16:18,017
and it goes
up to World Championship level,
275
00:16:18,018 --> 00:16:21,605
which is around 2,800
or a little bit above that.
276
00:16:22,189 --> 00:16:25,401
At that point, my rating was 2,466.
277
00:16:26,026 --> 00:16:29,071
Nothing special.
Plenty of people at my age had a rating.
278
00:16:29,780 --> 00:16:33,408
But my life's mission was
to become the best player in the world,
279
00:16:33,409 --> 00:16:34,952
and nothing was gonna stop me.
280
00:16:38,872 --> 00:16:41,290
So I decided to go
to the over-the-board circuit
281
00:16:41,291 --> 00:16:42,793
while being a senior in high school.
282
00:16:43,961 --> 00:16:46,546
I gotta go all in,
play the best tournaments.
283
00:16:46,547 --> 00:16:47,548
I gotta go to Europe.
284
00:16:50,801 --> 00:16:55,179
I started in Spain.
I had three amazing tournaments.
285
00:16:55,180 --> 00:16:59,685
Gained a lot of rating.
I actually went from 2,488 to 2,525.
286
00:17:01,353 --> 00:17:03,605
And then, I went off to Italy.
287
00:17:04,773 --> 00:17:05,941
Increasing my rating.
288
00:17:08,193 --> 00:17:11,195
And then after that,
nonstop tournament schedule,
289
00:17:11,196 --> 00:17:13,866
{\an8}one month in Serbia,
back-to-back tournaments.
290
00:17:16,035 --> 00:17:19,829
Then for the month of March,
I played all these tournaments in Italy.
291
00:17:19,830 --> 00:17:23,332
I actually did really badly there.
292
00:17:23,333 --> 00:17:26,045
I was stuck. I was plateauing.
The money was running out.
293
00:17:27,046 --> 00:17:29,089
But thankfully, I then went to Montenegro…
294
00:17:30,424 --> 00:17:34,594
…playing two tournaments there.
I absolutely dominated.
295
00:17:34,595 --> 00:17:37,473
Catapulting my rating up,
and with that confidence going forward,
296
00:17:38,682 --> 00:17:39,850
crushed every tournament.
297
00:17:42,811 --> 00:17:46,731
I guess I knew
that he was ambitious in general.
298
00:17:46,732 --> 00:17:48,191
He was stationed in Europe.
299
00:17:48,192 --> 00:17:51,278
He was playing tournaments
more or less every single day.
300
00:17:52,279 --> 00:17:55,074
Generally doing quite well,
gaining rating.
301
00:17:56,158 --> 00:17:59,118
I was an absolute maniac
and played every tournament I could.
302
00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:00,996
I won the Philadelphia International.
303
00:18:03,165 --> 00:18:04,333
Won the World Open.
304
00:18:05,876 --> 00:18:07,544
{\an8}The US Junior Championship.
305
00:18:08,128 --> 00:18:10,589
I won the Capablanca Award in Cuba.
306
00:18:11,882 --> 00:18:14,718
{\an8}I won another tournament
right after that in Sweden.
307
00:18:15,677 --> 00:18:18,764
I broke the record for the amount
of games played in one year.
308
00:18:19,431 --> 00:18:23,184
I played 261 games in one year.
309
00:18:23,185 --> 00:18:27,605
And his ranking just keeps going up,
straight up to about 2,700,
310
00:18:27,606 --> 00:18:30,858
which is, essentially,
I would say, top 30, top 40 in the world.
311
00:18:30,859 --> 00:18:33,861
He always had the talent,
and now he was turning it on.
312
00:18:33,862 --> 00:18:34,863
He flipped the switch.
313
00:18:35,739 --> 00:18:38,032
Hans Niemann must be someone
who's on trajectory
314
00:18:38,033 --> 00:18:41,120
to becoming one of the greatest players
of all time.
315
00:18:44,081 --> 00:18:47,750
My entire life,
I was conditioned and told and bullied.
316
00:18:47,751 --> 00:18:50,378
"You won't be a chess player.
You won't make money."
317
00:18:50,379 --> 00:18:51,922
"You have to go to college."
318
00:18:52,464 --> 00:18:55,759
So it's a very special moment
to sort of see your dreams materialize.
319
00:18:56,343 --> 00:18:58,846
So that was my entrance
into the elite of chess.
320
00:18:59,346 --> 00:19:02,516
And when you're in the club, life's good.
321
00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,692
I got an email saying,
"We'd like to invite you to Miami."
322
00:19:12,276 --> 00:19:16,029
We are so ready for the FTX Crypto Cup.
323
00:19:16,989 --> 00:19:21,785
The Miami FTX Crypto Cup was
an Esports chess event spectacular.
324
00:19:22,369 --> 00:19:24,745
They brought a bunch
of top players to Miami,
325
00:19:24,746 --> 00:19:26,331
put them up in a great hotel.
326
00:19:28,584 --> 00:19:30,585
We love chess. Yeah.
327
00:19:30,586 --> 00:19:34,589
We're talking about people
who have competed in the NBA or the NFL
328
00:19:34,590 --> 00:19:35,715
of the game.
329
00:19:35,716 --> 00:19:37,885
It was one of
the most popular events in chess.
330
00:19:39,178 --> 00:19:41,721
And having proven himself
as a rising star,
331
00:19:41,722 --> 00:19:43,390
Hans Niemann got the invite.
332
00:19:43,891 --> 00:19:46,100
No, it was big for me. It was big.
333
00:19:46,101 --> 00:19:48,145
So that was the first moment where I
334
00:19:49,271 --> 00:19:51,565
realized, okay, this is real.
335
00:19:52,524 --> 00:19:54,610
And I'm with all the best players
in the world.
336
00:19:55,194 --> 00:19:57,529
Just two years ago,
I idolized all of them.
337
00:19:58,572 --> 00:20:01,366
I didn't even think
I'd be having conversations with them.
338
00:20:03,285 --> 00:20:06,579
And then, I'm sitting with them
at dinner trash-talking.
339
00:20:06,580 --> 00:20:08,372
And that was a big moment to realize,
340
00:20:08,373 --> 00:20:10,834
"This is real. I'm gonna be
one of the best in the world."
341
00:20:11,668 --> 00:20:14,212
A lot of players
who eventually make it to the top,
342
00:20:14,213 --> 00:20:17,131
there's some defining game
or moment early in their careers.
343
00:20:17,132 --> 00:20:20,301
This great game, this masterpiece
they play that's talked about.
344
00:20:20,302 --> 00:20:23,931
You step back, like, "This is amazing.
They're destined for greatness."
345
00:20:24,556 --> 00:20:26,892
And Hans never had any of those moments.
346
00:20:27,809 --> 00:20:30,519
In order to be the best,
you have to beat the best.
347
00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,146
He needed legitimacy.
348
00:20:32,147 --> 00:20:33,606
Yeah.
349
00:20:33,607 --> 00:20:36,735
And Hans, if you want to step
a little closer, please.
350
00:20:37,277 --> 00:20:40,989
I consider you a man
of quite the confidence.
351
00:20:41,490 --> 00:20:44,784
Is this just the first step
to absolutely crushing these guys
352
00:20:44,785 --> 00:20:46,285
for years and years to come?
353
00:20:46,286 --> 00:20:49,998
Yeah, I'd like to establish
psychological dominance over all of them.
354
00:20:52,626 --> 00:20:54,543
What did he expect from this tournament?
355
00:20:54,544 --> 00:20:58,923
'Cause he's a significant underdog
in every… in every single match,
356
00:20:58,924 --> 00:21:01,384
and if he thinks
that he can just come here
357
00:21:01,385 --> 00:21:06,265
and beat everybody, that seems…
that seems completely delusional.
358
00:21:07,266 --> 00:21:09,600
Magnus has been good for a very long time.
359
00:21:09,601 --> 00:21:13,104
That's because he's crushed the soul
of all these guys in this room.
360
00:21:13,105 --> 00:21:15,482
I intend to replace him.
361
00:21:17,776 --> 00:21:19,861
Is he even at your level?
362
00:21:20,779 --> 00:21:22,321
Of course not.
363
00:21:22,322 --> 00:21:27,076
It felt like he was trying
to sort of cosplay as a top chess player,
364
00:21:27,077 --> 00:21:27,994
to be honest.
365
00:21:27,995 --> 00:21:30,705
That just really threw me off a bit.
366
00:21:30,706 --> 00:21:32,873
Thanks, guys.
367
00:21:32,874 --> 00:21:35,543
Hans starts off this tournament
very, very poorly.
368
00:21:35,544 --> 00:21:39,755
He's losing most of his matches,
and it's clearly not going his way.
369
00:21:39,756 --> 00:21:42,216
Yesterday Hans Niemann lost
all three games,
370
00:21:42,217 --> 00:21:45,678
and it's going to be
an uphill battle for him.
371
00:21:45,679 --> 00:21:47,972
- Looks hopeless, to be honest.
- It does.
372
00:21:47,973 --> 00:21:50,850
He could, like, barely last 15 moves.
373
00:21:50,851 --> 00:21:54,395
In certain areas, he was just
completely lacking understanding.
374
00:21:54,396 --> 00:21:58,399
So to say that anybody thought
Hans Niemann was capable
375
00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,653
of beating Magnus Carlsen
would be… would be laughable.
376
00:22:02,362 --> 00:22:04,155
Nobody was paying attention to this.
377
00:22:04,156 --> 00:22:06,073
You're playing the reigning champion.
378
00:22:06,074 --> 00:22:07,491
How do you prepare for that match?
379
00:22:07,492 --> 00:22:10,329
Rating champion? Oh, "reigning"?
Reigning champion.
380
00:22:11,330 --> 00:22:13,205
I had two nice smoothies.
381
00:22:13,206 --> 00:22:15,875
But there's nothing about Hans
that makes any sense.
382
00:22:15,876 --> 00:22:18,628
Honestly, there's nothing about this
that makes any sense.
383
00:22:22,174 --> 00:22:27,387
I've been the best player
in the world now for 12 to 13 years.
384
00:22:28,013 --> 00:22:31,223
I've won a lot of chess games
and a lot of tournaments.
385
00:22:31,224 --> 00:22:34,978
I'm not insecure
about my ability to play chess.
386
00:22:35,687 --> 00:22:37,772
His history is unparalleled.
387
00:22:37,773 --> 00:22:40,149
And I do get the sense
that he is very aware
388
00:22:40,150 --> 00:22:42,151
of sort of the aura he has.
389
00:22:42,152 --> 00:22:46,238
At some point, you think he's invincible
and he could never be beaten by anybody.
390
00:22:46,239 --> 00:22:48,825
It's a big psychological effect
that he has.
391
00:22:51,161 --> 00:22:56,416
I was the lowest-rated player there,
but I didn't have the fearful attitude.
392
00:22:56,917 --> 00:22:59,669
I thought, this is my chance,
let me take it.
393
00:23:01,630 --> 00:23:04,799
Psychologically, Niemann
definitely doesn't lack for self-belief.
394
00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:06,634
He just needs to back it up now.
395
00:23:06,635 --> 00:23:09,970
To start the game, Magnus Carlsen,
greatest chess player of all time,
396
00:23:09,971 --> 00:23:11,347
is in a great position.
397
00:23:11,348 --> 00:23:14,226
This just looks
visually terrible for Hans.
398
00:23:14,726 --> 00:23:19,355
Magnus's pieces are so well positioned.
The rook, the queen, the bishop.
399
00:23:19,356 --> 00:23:22,108
It'll be hard for Hans
to survive the next few moves.
400
00:23:22,109 --> 00:23:25,027
What's interesting then
is that Hans jumped in
401
00:23:25,028 --> 00:23:29,282
and turns what looks like
a dysfunctional king-side into an attack.
402
00:23:29,866 --> 00:23:31,283
I like what he's been doing, Hans.
403
00:23:31,284 --> 00:23:32,952
He's playing very well.
404
00:23:32,953 --> 00:23:36,580
If he keeps this up,
he's gonna really challenge Magnus.
405
00:23:36,581 --> 00:23:40,167
His rooks come to life, and
Magnus's position completely falls apart.
406
00:23:40,168 --> 00:23:42,920
Very impressive.
Everything connected for black now.
407
00:23:42,921 --> 00:23:46,882
And that's not Magnus,
is it, to play like this?
408
00:23:46,883 --> 00:23:53,432
I had no chance in that game whatsoever,
which was really weird.
409
00:23:54,349 --> 00:23:59,562
Like, we're not on the same level.
Like, I'm a lot better than you are.
410
00:23:59,563 --> 00:24:01,814
There are moments
I could've went for a draw
411
00:24:01,815 --> 00:24:03,899
and showed respect to the great champion,
412
00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:07,903
but, unfortunately,
I didn't have that in mind.
413
00:24:07,904 --> 00:24:10,072
It was just a complete beatdown.
414
00:24:10,073 --> 00:24:13,159
He's resigned. Wow. What can I say?
415
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:14,493
What a result.
416
00:24:14,494 --> 00:24:18,831
Incredible start for Hans Niemann,
the lowest-rated player in the tournament.
417
00:24:18,832 --> 00:24:21,292
A win against world number one.
418
00:24:21,293 --> 00:24:23,502
The reaction from Hans in Miami.
419
00:24:23,503 --> 00:24:26,672
Hans, yesterday
was a terrible day for you.
420
00:24:26,673 --> 00:24:30,217
Today you start out with a masterpiece.
How would you summarize it?
421
00:24:30,218 --> 00:24:31,595
Chess speaks for itself.
422
00:24:32,179 --> 00:24:34,973
Is it something special,
doing this against Magnus, Hans?
423
00:24:42,147 --> 00:24:43,856
Chess speaks for itself.
424
00:24:43,857 --> 00:24:47,152
Is it something special,
doing this against Magnus, Hans?
425
00:24:47,819 --> 00:24:51,989
The interview after the game goes viral.
426
00:24:51,990 --> 00:24:54,658
It's all over Twitter and Reddit.
427
00:24:54,659 --> 00:24:57,578
Some people are like,
"You don't act that way."
428
00:24:57,579 --> 00:25:02,833
Other people are like, "Look at that!
Mic drop. Let's go, Hans Niemann!"
429
00:25:02,834 --> 00:25:04,586
Guess which side of the camp I sat on.
430
00:25:07,964 --> 00:25:10,216
There are a lot of people
who don't like seeing
431
00:25:10,217 --> 00:25:11,675
Magnus win every tournament,
432
00:25:11,676 --> 00:25:14,512
and so it's like this underdog kid
who beats Magnus,
433
00:25:14,513 --> 00:25:16,640
and he's sort of rubbing it in his face.
434
00:25:18,266 --> 00:25:22,436
I don't even get it. He wins a nice game,
and he's just, like, he's just angry.
435
00:25:22,437 --> 00:25:26,065
I don't know what's wrong with him.
It's funny, but it's also kinda weird.
436
00:25:26,066 --> 00:25:28,651
Like I said, when I saw the interview,
I literally was like,
437
00:25:28,652 --> 00:25:30,986
"This is what the chess world's
been waiting for,"
438
00:25:30,987 --> 00:25:33,657
and then everyone else is going like,
439
00:25:34,741 --> 00:25:38,036
maybe the chess speaks for itself because
Hans doesn't know what he was doing.
440
00:25:39,246 --> 00:25:41,164
He was getting help from somewhere else.
441
00:25:47,921 --> 00:25:50,215
I was not groomed
to be a top chess player.
442
00:25:51,550 --> 00:25:55,678
Going to eight different schools
and being bullied at every school
443
00:25:55,679 --> 00:25:57,681
for being this sort of chess outcast.
444
00:26:00,141 --> 00:26:03,937
So, when I was 13, I'd take the train
from Connecticut to New York,
445
00:26:05,522 --> 00:26:07,731
and I'd play
against the hustlers for money.
446
00:26:07,732 --> 00:26:10,067
What are you doing?
That's on the board, look!
447
00:26:10,068 --> 00:26:12,320
This is the famous Washington Square Park.
448
00:26:14,072 --> 00:26:16,365
This is where the chess tables are.
449
00:26:16,366 --> 00:26:19,160
A lot of top players in New York
come from this park.
450
00:26:19,828 --> 00:26:22,037
I have to beat this man like a dog.
451
00:26:22,038 --> 00:26:24,748
And they'll take your money
any which way they can.
452
00:26:24,749 --> 00:26:28,753
Don't you just love it? Rack 'em up!
453
00:26:29,588 --> 00:26:32,423
I didn't play
the sort of formal type of chess.
454
00:26:32,424 --> 00:26:33,425
Bye-bye.
455
00:26:34,593 --> 00:26:38,429
I had my own way of doing things
and have taken a very unique path.
456
00:26:38,430 --> 00:26:40,307
Chess player, let's go!
457
00:26:41,266 --> 00:26:46,145
I know who you are,
and I saw what you did last summer.
458
00:26:46,146 --> 00:26:48,689
Hans is the latest. He's the latest, man.
459
00:26:48,690 --> 00:26:50,941
He won the World Junior Championship,
460
00:26:50,942 --> 00:26:53,278
but that didn't teach him
until he came here.
461
00:26:53,778 --> 00:26:55,697
And then he learned to play.
462
00:26:57,449 --> 00:27:00,951
The first thing you learn
about chess in the parks,
463
00:27:00,952 --> 00:27:04,331
{\an8}where you fight to the very end,
is that no one ever won by giving up.
464
00:27:05,373 --> 00:27:07,583
You can take control
even when you're losing.
465
00:27:07,584 --> 00:27:09,418
People don't realize that.
466
00:27:09,419 --> 00:27:13,088
But itis about control.
Taking command of the game.
467
00:27:13,089 --> 00:27:14,006
Get him, Poe!
468
00:27:14,007 --> 00:27:17,134
I'm trying! This guy's like
one of the toughest on the planet.
469
00:27:17,135 --> 00:27:19,845
You have to be forged
through the fire, the suffering.
470
00:27:19,846 --> 00:27:22,765
Shit. This guy's
the Muhammad Ali of chess.
471
00:27:22,766 --> 00:27:24,433
You got more experience than me.
472
00:27:24,434 --> 00:27:25,684
Experience don't count!
473
00:27:25,685 --> 00:27:28,938
All along the line,
Hans was always the best for his age.
474
00:27:31,024 --> 00:27:36,403
And not only was he incredibly good,
but he was really fierce at the board.
475
00:27:36,404 --> 00:27:39,948
Legal move! Get out of here, kid!
476
00:27:39,949 --> 00:27:42,159
Get out of here.
477
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,286
I wanted them to know
I wasn't afraid of them.
478
00:27:44,287 --> 00:27:47,082
When you're a kid
comfortable playing 56-year-olds,
479
00:27:47,832 --> 00:27:49,792
nothing intimidates you anymore.
480
00:27:49,793 --> 00:27:53,462
You know, when you see your opponent
clearly struggling,
481
00:27:53,463 --> 00:27:56,758
and you sort of know that you've got him,
it's just the best feeling.
482
00:27:57,258 --> 00:27:59,843
Because you know
that you're hot shit and they're not.
483
00:27:59,844 --> 00:28:02,513
He's tough, though.
He's tough. He's tough.
484
00:28:02,514 --> 00:28:05,099
Hans can manifest this energy.
485
00:28:05,100 --> 00:28:09,312
This intimidating force coming at you,
and that wears you down.
486
00:28:10,271 --> 00:28:11,689
He's a monster.
487
00:28:11,690 --> 00:28:15,193
And the beautiful thing
about Hans being a monster,
488
00:28:15,735 --> 00:28:19,239
we in New York, he'sour monster.
489
00:28:24,035 --> 00:28:29,040
The thing is that, like, I've overcome
so many things to get to where I am today
490
00:28:29,541 --> 00:28:32,584
that the greater the challenge,
I honestly find it exhilarating
491
00:28:32,585 --> 00:28:34,878
knowing that everyone wants me to fail.
492
00:28:34,879 --> 00:28:36,255
And it makes me happy.
493
00:28:36,256 --> 00:28:39,175
It only motivates me more.
It's only fuel to the fire.
494
00:28:42,637 --> 00:28:44,888
{\an8}This is it. The grandaddy of them all.
495
00:28:44,889 --> 00:28:47,976
{\an8}Welcome, everybody,
to day one of the Sinquefield Cup.
496
00:28:52,355 --> 00:28:54,648
{\an8}Sinquefield Cup is
a very prestigious tournament,
497
00:28:54,649 --> 00:28:57,318
{\an8}which pits ten of the best players
in the world against each other.
498
00:29:01,156 --> 00:29:04,116
By far and away,
it is the most watched event
499
00:29:04,117 --> 00:29:05,577
in professional chess.
500
00:29:10,206 --> 00:29:12,708
When it was announced
Hans was in the Sinquefield Cup,
501
00:29:12,709 --> 00:29:13,959
there were a lot of rumblings.
502
00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:18,047
A very young player
from New York, Hans Niemann.
503
00:29:20,341 --> 00:29:22,926
People felt that it was implausible
for this player
504
00:29:22,927 --> 00:29:24,428
to have suddenly gone up so fast.
505
00:29:24,429 --> 00:29:27,181
I had gone, in a short period,
506
00:29:27,182 --> 00:29:30,267
from this high school student
507
00:29:30,268 --> 00:29:32,561
to on equal terms with the best players.
508
00:29:32,562 --> 00:29:36,231
Suddenly it's like this
awakening of all of my dreams,
509
00:29:36,232 --> 00:29:38,776
{\an8}my childhood dreams, coming to reality.
510
00:29:38,777 --> 00:29:42,946
{\an8}The tournament that's going on inside,
we're especially here to support Hans.
511
00:29:42,947 --> 00:29:47,827
{\an8}Got our fun little signs here, and, yeah,
just out here to show our support.
512
00:29:49,078 --> 00:29:52,206
There were a couple of girls
who showed up to the playing hall.
513
00:29:52,207 --> 00:29:54,291
They said they were
the Hans Niemann fan club.
514
00:29:54,292 --> 00:29:58,921
{\an8}I don't think he knows that we're here,
so I really hope he comes out and sees us.
515
00:29:58,922 --> 00:30:00,172
{\an8}We love him.
516
00:30:00,173 --> 00:30:05,386
I did not pay those girls to show up
as the Hans Niemann fan club. No.
517
00:30:05,970 --> 00:30:09,181
The tension that was building
was already palpable.
518
00:30:09,182 --> 00:30:12,393
None of the top players trusted
who Hans Niemann was.
519
00:30:14,062 --> 00:30:17,397
These guys have a group. It's a clique.
520
00:30:17,398 --> 00:30:19,316
And it's not just an elitism thing.
521
00:30:19,317 --> 00:30:22,736
It's that they've been there.
They've earned it. They've done it.
522
00:30:22,737 --> 00:30:24,905
And people are like,
"What are you doing here?"
523
00:30:24,906 --> 00:30:27,783
I was looking around, and I said,
"Okay, I think I can belong
524
00:30:27,784 --> 00:30:29,494
in this room of great chess players."
525
00:30:30,161 --> 00:30:33,539
People were nervous about Hans
Niemann competing in over-the-board chess.
526
00:30:33,540 --> 00:30:36,667
They didn't know what
he was capable of in over-the-board chess.
527
00:30:36,668 --> 00:30:39,170
They were afraid. They were paranoid.
528
00:30:39,754 --> 00:30:42,256
More and more players
are becoming suspicious.
529
00:30:42,257 --> 00:30:43,883
You're wondering, what is going on?
530
00:30:44,843 --> 00:30:47,887
More than one player
considered withdrawing from the event.
531
00:30:48,388 --> 00:30:51,015
And I can only surmise
as to the reason why.
532
00:30:52,559 --> 00:30:55,102
I do think on the question of whether
533
00:30:55,103 --> 00:30:58,063
this will be a dominating performance
by one player…
534
00:30:58,064 --> 00:31:01,233
- The man on screen?
- …perhaps running away with it.
535
00:31:01,234 --> 00:31:03,193
Heading into the Sinquefield Cup,
536
00:31:03,194 --> 00:31:07,073
there was still no real doubt
as to who the heavy favorite was.
537
00:31:08,408 --> 00:31:11,286
We had Magnus Carlsen,
the greatest of all time.
538
00:31:12,996 --> 00:31:15,247
But then something surprising happens.
539
00:31:15,248 --> 00:31:19,751
Exciting chess has brought us
a surprise in the leadership.
540
00:31:19,752 --> 00:31:22,546
From the beginning,
I was just outplaying all of them.
541
00:31:22,547 --> 00:31:25,173
Extremely solid performance by Hans.
542
00:31:25,174 --> 00:31:27,009
- How exciting, indeed.
- Absolutely.
543
00:31:27,010 --> 00:31:28,802
Hans got off to a very good start.
544
00:31:28,803 --> 00:31:31,973
He drew the first game
against Levon Aronian, an American player.
545
00:31:34,183 --> 00:31:35,475
Round two.
546
00:31:35,476 --> 00:31:37,060
He won a shocking game
547
00:31:37,061 --> 00:31:39,939
over the Azerbaijani player
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
548
00:31:41,024 --> 00:31:42,567
He blew him off the board.
549
00:31:43,151 --> 00:31:44,443
You can be arrogant,
550
00:31:44,444 --> 00:31:47,155
you can be confident,
but these guys aren't better than me.
551
00:31:48,156 --> 00:31:50,575
Magnus was looking at my game.
552
00:31:51,284 --> 00:31:53,828
I think he was impressed,
to say the least.
553
00:31:56,456 --> 00:32:02,920
We have headliners, and they're
going head-to-head right now, right here.
554
00:32:02,921 --> 00:32:06,006
It was probably the biggest
opportunity of my entire chess career.
555
00:32:06,007 --> 00:32:09,259
I remember being very nervous
about what opening he would play.
556
00:32:09,260 --> 00:32:11,428
The opening's really important.
557
00:32:11,429 --> 00:32:14,640
So I decided, you know,
let me just be in a good mental headspace,
558
00:32:14,641 --> 00:32:17,684
ready to fight
and to take every chance that I got.
559
00:32:17,685 --> 00:32:21,146
And there we have
our battle of our leaders, yeah,
560
00:32:21,147 --> 00:32:23,815
with Magnus starting
with one d4, no surprise there.
561
00:32:23,816 --> 00:32:27,194
I think if you're in a situation
where you don't trust your opponent,
562
00:32:27,195 --> 00:32:30,657
you have
a huge psychological disadvantage.
563
00:32:31,491 --> 00:32:35,953
So I'm in a mindset of
I'm gonna try and surprise him
564
00:32:35,954 --> 00:32:37,287
in the opening a bit.
565
00:32:37,288 --> 00:32:39,706
And I pick kind of a rare line.
566
00:32:39,707 --> 00:32:42,876
An unusual approach
by Magnus in the opening.
567
00:32:42,877 --> 00:32:46,546
These types of move orders
are chosen to trick your opponent.
568
00:32:46,547 --> 00:32:49,925
Frankly, this type of approach
is Magnus Carlsen's specialty.
569
00:32:49,926 --> 00:32:52,094
It's a bit of a risky line.
570
00:32:52,095 --> 00:32:55,389
And he plays the exact best move.
571
00:32:55,390 --> 00:32:59,851
And it looks like Hans
is reasonably well-prepared, even here.
572
00:32:59,852 --> 00:33:03,355
It's clear that Hans,
despite this being an obscure opening,
573
00:33:03,356 --> 00:33:04,649
knows what he's doing.
574
00:33:05,733 --> 00:33:10,029
From the player that I'd known before,
I thought he was not that good.
575
00:33:10,530 --> 00:33:13,908
And I did not like the situation
at all at that point.
576
00:33:16,577 --> 00:33:19,997
And I kept applying pressure,
slowly and slowly.
577
00:33:19,998 --> 00:33:21,415
Eventually he collapsed.
578
00:33:21,416 --> 00:33:27,713
That's probably as bad
a body posture I've seen on Magnus.
579
00:33:27,714 --> 00:33:30,132
He seems rattled
by how this game is going.
580
00:33:30,133 --> 00:33:33,928
It was very surprising, the way…
He seemed to have no chances, honestly.
581
00:33:34,762 --> 00:33:37,806
It definitely felt
that I was playing somebody
582
00:33:37,807 --> 00:33:41,935
who didn't appear to be putting
a lot of effort into this game.
583
00:33:41,936 --> 00:33:44,563
It just seemed that,
"Yeah, I'm better than you."
584
00:33:44,564 --> 00:33:47,400
"I'm outplaying you. This is normal."
585
00:33:47,900 --> 00:33:51,278
I'm thinking, like,
this is back to Miami again.
586
00:33:51,279 --> 00:33:53,906
Like, this guy is just fucking
with me at this point.
587
00:33:56,075 --> 00:33:59,746
Sometimes I'd wonder,
was sacrificing my childhood worth it?
588
00:34:00,538 --> 00:34:02,539
Was it worth it to be bullied?
589
00:34:02,540 --> 00:34:04,458
Was it worth it to live alone?
590
00:34:04,459 --> 00:34:05,752
You have these thoughts.
591
00:34:06,252 --> 00:34:08,379
Those thoughts sort of disappeared.
592
00:34:09,047 --> 00:34:11,256
And I was just enjoying my time.
593
00:34:11,257 --> 00:34:13,801
Thinking about my next first-class flight.
594
00:34:15,511 --> 00:34:18,014
At this point, I'm really upset.
595
00:34:18,514 --> 00:34:19,973
I'm fuming.
596
00:34:19,974 --> 00:34:22,143
This just did not feel right.
597
00:34:22,977 --> 00:34:24,145
At all.
598
00:34:24,645 --> 00:34:26,772
And there we have it. Handshake.
599
00:34:26,773 --> 00:34:28,691
Wow. What a result.
600
00:34:29,192 --> 00:34:31,777
I take pleasure in knowing
601
00:34:31,778 --> 00:34:36,532
that he was one of the best players
in the world for so long and I broke him.
602
00:34:39,660 --> 00:34:41,536
I think he was just so demoralized
603
00:34:41,537 --> 00:34:44,706
{\an8}because he's losing
to such an idiot like me, you know.
604
00:34:44,707 --> 00:34:47,709
{\an8}It must be embarrassing
for the world champion to lose to me.
605
00:34:47,710 --> 00:34:48,628
{\an8}I feel bad for him.
606
00:34:49,587 --> 00:34:51,797
So the thing that's strange
about this interview
607
00:34:51,798 --> 00:34:54,091
is his explanations
of some moves he played
608
00:34:54,092 --> 00:34:55,592
really just don't make sense.
609
00:34:55,593 --> 00:34:58,845
{\an8}I was actually very fortunate
that this opening came on the board.
610
00:34:58,846 --> 00:35:02,224
{\an8}- I looked at this today, and…
- You guessed this opening?
611
00:35:02,225 --> 00:35:05,685
No, I didn't guess it, but some miracle,
I had checked this today.
612
00:35:05,686 --> 00:35:09,898
There's so many possible openings
in chess, we don't have time to name
613
00:35:09,899 --> 00:35:13,902
the, you know, thousands
of possible variations of chess.
614
00:35:13,903 --> 00:35:18,865
And so, to say that he had looked
at the one out of 10,000
615
00:35:18,866 --> 00:35:22,786
and been like, "Yeah, I'm gonna focus
on this for a minute before my match,"
616
00:35:22,787 --> 00:35:27,999
like, it just didn't make any sense
to anybody at all.
617
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,753
- But is it possible? Yes. I mean…
- Sure. One in 10,000 chance!
618
00:35:31,754 --> 00:35:32,712
Anomalies happen.
619
00:35:32,713 --> 00:35:35,841
I have no idea why I would check
such a ridiculous thing.
620
00:35:35,842 --> 00:35:38,510
Such a ridiculous miracle.
621
00:35:38,511 --> 00:35:41,596
That's a good word
to describe what anomalies are.
622
00:35:41,597 --> 00:35:43,014
They are ridiculous miracles.
623
00:35:43,015 --> 00:35:47,394
- That answers my question.
- That's okay, but it's only the beginning.
624
00:35:47,395 --> 00:35:50,021
Hans, thank you
for joining us. Candid, as always.
625
00:35:50,022 --> 00:35:51,857
Congratulations on your performance.
626
00:35:51,858 --> 00:35:54,568
Definitely a big day for you,
beating the world champion.
627
00:35:54,569 --> 00:35:55,861
Thank you for joining us.
628
00:35:55,862 --> 00:35:59,990
Once I got back to my hotel room,
I had this almost euphoric moment.
629
00:35:59,991 --> 00:36:01,575
Like I had made it.
630
00:36:01,576 --> 00:36:05,287
And now, life's gonna be good.
I'm gonna be a great chess player.
631
00:36:05,288 --> 00:36:09,375
I'm gonna be one of the best in the world.
I went to bed feeling amazing.
632
00:36:12,253 --> 00:36:15,839
So, I watched the match
between Hans and Magnus
633
00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,134
in the hotel in St. Louis.
634
00:36:19,302 --> 00:36:21,511
{\an8}I was just kind of a bit sorry for Magnus.
635
00:36:21,512 --> 00:36:25,808
{\an8}I knew he would be annoyed.
He didn't seem to play his best game.
636
00:36:27,602 --> 00:36:32,230
I didn't have any suspicions
about what had happened
637
00:36:32,231 --> 00:36:35,610
until I met Magnus
coming back from the playing hall.
638
00:36:37,486 --> 00:36:43,117
Magnus was kind of doing like this,
"What is this?"
639
00:36:44,076 --> 00:36:46,620
And I thought, "What?"
Then he explained basically
640
00:36:46,621 --> 00:36:50,582
that he had been highly suspicious
from the start of the game.
641
00:36:50,583 --> 00:36:55,879
This was not Hans playing.
He was playing some, some computer.
642
00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:58,799
And I said, "What do you mean?"
"He was cheating."
643
00:37:01,469 --> 00:37:05,181
I felt that I was not playing a human.
644
00:37:10,811 --> 00:37:14,440
Cheating has been happening
in chess for hundreds of years.
645
00:37:15,566 --> 00:37:17,485
It goes back to the Mechanical Turk.
646
00:37:19,862 --> 00:37:24,075
People were losing
to what seemed like an invisible force.
647
00:37:25,952 --> 00:37:30,497
But there was a human hidden
under the chess board, making the moves.
648
00:37:30,498 --> 00:37:32,291
This was a parlor trick.
649
00:37:36,587 --> 00:37:38,421
Cheating, as we think about it now,
650
00:37:38,422 --> 00:37:44,011
is the act of accessing a chess computer
to gain an edge on an opponent.
651
00:37:45,638 --> 00:37:47,806
Making a move, seeing opponent move,
652
00:37:47,807 --> 00:37:51,726
looking at a computer, saying,
"Okay, next best move." Making the move.
653
00:37:51,727 --> 00:37:55,815
It's the culmination of human
and AI knowledge, all put together.
654
00:37:56,315 --> 00:37:57,857
With a chess computer,
655
00:37:57,858 --> 00:38:01,487
you would beat Magnus Carlsen
1,000 out of 1,000 games.
656
00:38:02,363 --> 00:38:04,198
And it's available anywhere.
657
00:38:04,824 --> 00:38:06,784
It's very, very easy to gain access.
658
00:38:08,661 --> 00:38:12,706
So, as far as online cheating goes,
you could just reach for your phone
659
00:38:12,707 --> 00:38:15,084
and put in the moves and go from there.
660
00:38:16,669 --> 00:38:19,421
But cheating over the board
is quite difficult,
661
00:38:19,422 --> 00:38:23,258
and the main reason for that is
there's a much higher barrier to entry.
662
00:38:23,259 --> 00:38:26,095
In other sports,
you're cheatingbefore the event.
663
00:38:27,013 --> 00:38:30,682
High fastball. See you later!
664
00:38:30,683 --> 00:38:33,601
{\an8}9.79!
665
00:38:33,602 --> 00:38:37,982
But in chess, you have to be cheating
right then in the moment.
666
00:38:39,358 --> 00:38:44,238
If people could get help from
computers, they would just be unbeatable.
667
00:38:46,115 --> 00:38:49,035
I know that I was way in my own head,
668
00:38:49,618 --> 00:38:52,912
I recognized that then,
and I recognize that now,
669
00:38:52,913 --> 00:38:54,664
but that's the way it felt to me,
670
00:38:54,665 --> 00:38:57,792
both in Miami
and also in the Sinquefield Cup,
671
00:38:57,793 --> 00:39:02,423
that this was somebody
who had the ability to cheat.
672
00:39:03,382 --> 00:39:07,345
It was an unpleasant situation, but… yeah.
673
00:39:08,471 --> 00:39:12,557
The emotional toll
of seeing your child suffer
674
00:39:12,558 --> 00:39:15,144
at, for instance,
the chess board is significant.
675
00:39:16,604 --> 00:39:20,483
It was clear that Hans was a character
that you can't really trust.
676
00:39:20,983 --> 00:39:24,528
He's a potential threat
to the chess world.
677
00:39:25,279 --> 00:39:28,907
So, if we really suspect
that something is going on,
678
00:39:28,908 --> 00:39:30,533
I would like clarity.
679
00:39:30,534 --> 00:39:32,286
One way or the other.
680
00:39:34,747 --> 00:39:39,667
Magnus talked about going to Hans
and knocking on his door.
681
00:39:39,668 --> 00:39:41,212
"Tell me, what's going on?"
682
00:39:42,963 --> 00:39:47,218
Well, that probably won't work,
and it's a bit offensive also.
683
00:39:48,094 --> 00:39:51,889
So we need to talk to the people
that might have information about this.
684
00:39:52,390 --> 00:39:55,810
And I said, "I had a meeting
with Danny Rensch this morning."
685
00:39:56,936 --> 00:39:59,354
"And I know he was gonna fly home,
686
00:39:59,355 --> 00:40:03,692
but I can try to ask him
if he has any idea about this."
687
00:40:04,193 --> 00:40:05,860
It all happened very fast.
688
00:40:05,861 --> 00:40:09,697
When I landed, I landed
to text messages from Henrik Carlsen
689
00:40:09,698 --> 00:40:12,367
and a request to have a call
as soon as I could talk.
690
00:40:12,368 --> 00:40:16,162
And he said, "I know what you're gonna
ask me about."
691
00:40:16,163 --> 00:40:17,914
I thought, "Wow."
692
00:40:17,915 --> 00:40:21,584
He was asking whether
Hans Niemann had ever been caught
693
00:40:21,585 --> 00:40:23,753
cheating on Chess.com.
694
00:40:23,754 --> 00:40:26,881
And for most people,
we punt on the answer,
695
00:40:26,882 --> 00:40:29,927
it's not your business,
and for some people, we tell the truth.
696
00:40:30,553 --> 00:40:33,304
Because it's just not
in our interest to create a scandal
697
00:40:33,305 --> 00:40:35,432
and we're not looking to defame anyone.
698
00:40:35,433 --> 00:40:38,519
But the reality is,
when people know, they know.
699
00:40:44,316 --> 00:40:47,527
When we found
the first cheater on Chess.com,
700
00:40:47,528 --> 00:40:50,656
we had a pretty big existential crisis.
701
00:40:51,240 --> 00:40:55,577
If we don't have the trust
of the players playing on our platform,
702
00:40:55,578 --> 00:40:57,872
like, online chess would be dead.
703
00:40:59,081 --> 00:41:02,709
So, you start to look at the math,
and build cheat-detection algorithms
704
00:41:02,710 --> 00:41:08,841
to help us understand what was human play
and what was more-than-human play.
705
00:41:09,383 --> 00:41:11,050
Has there been an occasion
706
00:41:11,051 --> 00:41:13,219
where someone
is accused of cheating online,
707
00:41:13,220 --> 00:41:15,430
and just like…
you almost didn't believe it.
708
00:41:15,431 --> 00:41:17,932
You're like,
"I know this person. They're a friend."
709
00:41:17,933 --> 00:41:19,476
The Hans Niemann case.
710
00:41:19,477 --> 00:41:22,521
I was the top person pushing back.
711
00:41:24,899 --> 00:41:27,525
{\an8}In the year 2020, during the pandemic,
712
00:41:27,526 --> 00:41:30,236
{\an8}whispers started
amongst a couple of our staff members
713
00:41:30,237 --> 00:41:32,238
that they were convinced
Hans was cheating.
714
00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:33,449
I didn't want to believe it.
715
00:41:34,366 --> 00:41:35,951
I'm injured, though.
716
00:41:36,535 --> 00:41:39,662
{\an8}We had been putting a lot
of effort and resources and energy
717
00:41:39,663 --> 00:41:42,750
and, frankly, love
into the potential of Hans's career.
718
00:41:44,293 --> 00:41:46,377
{\an8}Unfortunately, when we peeled back
the onion,
719
00:41:46,378 --> 00:41:48,046
we saw that Hans had been cheating
720
00:41:48,047 --> 00:41:50,590
borderline since the first day
he joined Chess.com.
721
00:41:50,591 --> 00:41:52,051
{\an8}Yes!
722
00:41:53,052 --> 00:41:56,012
{\an8}Fuck yes! Yes!
723
00:41:56,013 --> 00:41:58,264
{\an8}We had to do what we had to do.
724
00:41:58,265 --> 00:42:01,267
{\an8}Talking to someone about the fact
we've caught them cheating
725
00:42:01,268 --> 00:42:03,770
is a little bit
of a well-rehearsed script for me,
726
00:42:03,771 --> 00:42:08,817
but… this call was unique
in that Hans immediately started denying.
727
00:42:10,152 --> 00:42:12,488
"No, what are you talking about?"
This and that.
728
00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:17,534
And the moment I told him
that this was no longer up for debate,
729
00:42:17,535 --> 00:42:18,577
he burst into tears.
730
00:42:19,828 --> 00:42:21,829
The thing he was most worried about was,
731
00:42:21,830 --> 00:42:25,751
"If you guys shut me down and I disappear,
everyone's gonna know I cheated."
732
00:42:26,669 --> 00:42:29,672
Lucky for Hans,
I'm gonna help this kid figure this out.
733
00:42:30,881 --> 00:42:32,840
He's gonna self-close his account.
734
00:42:32,841 --> 00:42:35,927
He'll tell his fans he's doing it
'cause he wants to start fresh
735
00:42:35,928 --> 00:42:38,055
with a new username
that's just for streaming.
736
00:42:38,556 --> 00:42:42,433
And in doing that, he's gonna have
controlled the narrative to the community
737
00:42:42,434 --> 00:42:44,311
that he wasn't closed for cheating.
738
00:42:46,230 --> 00:42:50,108
Honestly, I was surprised at the time
of how generous you were being.
739
00:42:50,109 --> 00:42:53,152
I wasn't looking for a scandal.
I wasn't looking for a scandal.
740
00:42:53,153 --> 00:42:58,492
I'm still in big-brother, mentor mode.
But that's when the call gets weird.
741
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:02,203
He started asking me specifics.
742
00:43:02,204 --> 00:43:05,040
Like, "What games exactly did I cheat in?"
743
00:43:06,417 --> 00:43:08,252
"Howdoes the algorithm work?"
744
00:43:09,545 --> 00:43:11,754
"Do you think I have ever cheated
over the board?"
745
00:43:11,755 --> 00:43:16,634
It felt like, to me, that he was trying
to pinpoint how we caught him.
746
00:43:16,635 --> 00:43:19,888
And that part of the phone call
never left me.
747
00:43:20,723 --> 00:43:23,434
"Shit, we can never trust this kid again."
748
00:43:26,061 --> 00:43:29,897
So in those conversations
with Magnus and Henrik,
749
00:43:29,898 --> 00:43:31,566
during the Sinquefield Cup,
750
00:43:31,567 --> 00:43:34,695
I also thought that Hans
might have cheated over the board.
751
00:43:37,531 --> 00:43:41,492
For me, that was just like…
that was the confirmation that I needed.
752
00:43:41,493 --> 00:43:43,829
This guy is cheating.
753
00:43:53,839 --> 00:43:54,840
Why?
754
00:43:56,467 --> 00:43:58,427
Why is he not showing up to the game?
755
00:43:59,803 --> 00:44:00,971
It's unprecedented.
756
00:44:01,472 --> 00:44:05,725
This is the Sinquefield Cup, this is not
some random tournament that you ditch.
757
00:44:05,726 --> 00:44:08,646
You don't just not show up to the game.
758
00:44:09,146 --> 00:44:10,856
So I presumed that…
759
00:44:11,357 --> 00:44:14,568
He must have some reason to not want
to play the tournament anymore.
760
00:44:15,235 --> 00:44:16,903
And there's his opponent saying,
761
00:44:16,904 --> 00:44:19,864
"My gosh, I came to play
the world chess champion,
762
00:44:19,865 --> 00:44:21,949
and he's not here."
763
00:44:21,950 --> 00:44:25,496
Um, I'm told we have breaking news.
764
00:44:26,288 --> 00:44:29,540
There's a tweet
from world chess champion Magnus Carlsen.
765
00:44:29,541 --> 00:44:32,794
Alejandro, what was the tweet,
exactly, if you please?
766
00:44:32,795 --> 00:44:34,379
"I've withdrawn."
767
00:44:34,380 --> 00:44:37,465
"I've always enjoyed playing
in the St Louis Chess club
768
00:44:37,466 --> 00:44:40,468
and hope to be back in the future."
769
00:44:40,469 --> 00:44:43,721
I prefer really not to speak.
770
00:44:43,722 --> 00:44:45,849
If I speak, I am in big trouble.
771
00:44:46,475 --> 00:44:49,144
In big trouble.
And I don't want to be in big trouble.
772
00:44:50,187 --> 00:44:52,022
Oh my gosh.
773
00:44:52,981 --> 00:44:57,026
It becomes very clear right away
what Magnus is saying with this tweet.
774
00:44:57,027 --> 00:44:59,278
There's really no doubt about it,
775
00:44:59,279 --> 00:45:02,115
in my mind, I would say
any top player's mind,
776
00:45:02,116 --> 00:45:05,952
especially in light of what we know
is being said behind the scenes.
777
00:45:05,953 --> 00:45:09,540
It's obvious what it is.
It's a cheating accusation.
778
00:45:11,375 --> 00:45:12,876
I was in disbelief.
779
00:45:13,460 --> 00:45:15,045
Don't understand how you could…
780
00:45:16,255 --> 00:45:18,173
How you could even think
that would be possible.
781
00:45:23,470 --> 00:45:26,806
It's just disappointing
because you work your entire life,
782
00:45:26,807 --> 00:45:28,599
you beat the world champion,
783
00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:31,394
and at the moment
you should be praised and celebrated,
784
00:45:31,395 --> 00:45:33,939
this person that you've looked up to
your whole life
785
00:45:35,149 --> 00:45:37,984
then accuses you of cheating.
786
00:45:37,985 --> 00:45:41,988
Sometimes I feel like Magnus
forgets how much power he has.
787
00:45:41,989 --> 00:45:44,867
And after this, all hell breaks loose.
788
00:45:45,659 --> 00:45:48,995
It's been absolute pandemonium
in the chess world.
789
00:45:48,996 --> 00:45:50,747
What's going on? Why did he withdraw?
790
00:45:50,748 --> 00:45:52,707
What am I even supposed to say?
791
00:45:52,708 --> 00:45:54,417
There's a lot of rumors already,
792
00:45:54,418 --> 00:45:59,131
{\an8}but probably some people have
a decent idea of what he's alluding to.
793
00:46:00,090 --> 00:46:02,091
He had no reason to be trusted,
794
00:46:02,092 --> 00:46:05,262
regardless of Magnus Carlsen
lighting a fire.
795
00:46:05,763 --> 00:46:09,475
Everybody was coming to
the same conclusion that Hans had cheated.
796
00:46:10,142 --> 00:46:13,269
And he had somehow gotten a signal
from an earpiece
797
00:46:13,270 --> 00:46:16,148
or some other type
of communication device.
798
00:46:17,858 --> 00:46:21,652
Everybody was going back
and reviewing footage
799
00:46:21,653 --> 00:46:23,280
as to what could have happened.
800
00:46:23,781 --> 00:46:27,116
Did his jacket look
a little bulky in this area?
801
00:46:27,117 --> 00:46:30,036
How come he's…
his ankle is itchy all the time?
802
00:46:30,037 --> 00:46:34,207
{\an8}Protective gestures covering his neck,
that is important to notice.
803
00:46:34,208 --> 00:46:38,503
Every single part of his mannerisms
got picked apart.
804
00:46:38,504 --> 00:46:40,755
If he has a cavity in his tooth,
805
00:46:40,756 --> 00:46:42,548
could he take out the filling
806
00:46:42,549 --> 00:46:47,429
and input a small device that sends
very small electroshocks or something?
807
00:46:47,930 --> 00:46:51,516
What level of grandiose cheating
am I doing?
808
00:46:51,517 --> 00:46:55,687
And in this discussion,
in one stream on Twitch,
809
00:46:56,313 --> 00:46:59,691
somebody in chat said…
810
00:47:01,318 --> 00:47:03,070
"Maybe it was anal beads."
811
00:47:04,238 --> 00:47:05,488
{\an8}That's probably a good one.
812
00:47:05,489 --> 00:47:07,949
{\an8}An anal bead
probably would beat the thing.
813
00:47:07,950 --> 00:47:12,454
{\an8}I'm ser… the engine… I… It would probably…
814
00:47:13,997 --> 00:47:17,167
{\an8}I don't know. I really don't know.
Like, think about it. I don't know.
815
00:47:18,126 --> 00:47:20,628
Talk about something
getting out of control
816
00:47:20,629 --> 00:47:22,964
faster than anybody knew what was coming.
817
00:47:22,965 --> 00:47:27,636
The chess world has been rocked
by rumors of anal beads.
818
00:47:28,679 --> 00:47:30,222
They call it "castling."
819
00:47:31,765 --> 00:47:35,560
It involved a vibrating sex toy
in his rear quarters.
820
00:47:35,561 --> 00:47:39,981
Dude! He's using anal beads Morse code!
821
00:47:39,982 --> 00:47:43,317
I mean, the theory is that basically
someone had some anal beads.
822
00:47:43,318 --> 00:47:45,278
And I'm obviously… I'm no expert at it,
823
00:47:45,279 --> 00:47:48,364
but I think it's you get
some sort of signal from the beads.
824
00:47:48,365 --> 00:47:49,907
It sort of became the truth.
825
00:47:49,908 --> 00:47:52,285
Suddenly, it became
this legitimate theory.
826
00:47:52,286 --> 00:47:56,080
{\an8}…player was able to communicate
by flexing his anus,
827
00:47:56,081 --> 00:47:58,416
{\an8}which apparently communicated
to a computer.
828
00:47:58,417 --> 00:48:00,418
{\an8}I mean, this is extraordinary stuff.
829
00:48:00,419 --> 00:48:02,713
People on Twitter
started talking about it,
830
00:48:03,797 --> 00:48:07,049
and then my own children said,
831
00:48:07,050 --> 00:48:13,598
"Did you see that Elon Musk retweeted
about wireless anal beads?"
832
00:48:13,599 --> 00:48:16,058
{\an8}Sending the chess world into chaos.
833
00:48:16,059 --> 00:48:19,062
{\an8}One buzz means a bishop,
two buzzes means a knight.
834
00:48:19,688 --> 00:48:23,024
And it sort of exploded.
Joe Rogan was talking about it.
835
00:48:23,025 --> 00:48:26,736
"Chess grandmaster denies cheating
by using anal beads."
836
00:48:26,737 --> 00:48:30,407
{\an8}Yeah, I mean, the thing is, I like to win.
837
00:48:32,367 --> 00:48:34,869
{\an8}But do I like it that much?
838
00:48:34,870 --> 00:48:37,788
It was, like, mainstream news. Front page.
839
00:48:37,789 --> 00:48:41,000
I get why someone would use
vibrating anal beads to cheat.
840
00:48:41,001 --> 00:48:44,212
Because even if you lose,
you still kind of win, you know?
841
00:48:45,088 --> 00:48:48,090
When I was offered a million dollars
to play chess naked,
842
00:48:48,091 --> 00:48:51,218
people were telling me
to take Adam & Eve sponsorships.
843
00:48:51,219 --> 00:48:52,554
"No, thank you."
844
00:48:53,472 --> 00:48:58,184
I do think the anal implant
is a genuine concern.
845
00:48:58,185 --> 00:49:02,146
We had our COVID bump,
we had ourQueen's Gambit bump…
846
00:49:02,147 --> 00:49:05,816
- The beads bump was real.
- The beads bump.
847
00:49:05,817 --> 00:49:08,319
Anal beads have been super good to us.
848
00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:10,072
- Can I just say--
- Don't use that!
849
00:49:17,079 --> 00:49:19,539
They enjoyed it. They took pleasure in it.
850
00:49:20,707 --> 00:49:23,168
And it was sad
to see my life's work just, like,
851
00:49:23,794 --> 00:49:25,712
burn in front of my eyes.
852
00:49:30,592 --> 00:49:33,887
Yeah, I think that people,
they might laugh about it…
853
00:49:36,139 --> 00:49:38,557
but there's actually
a very sad story behind it.
854
00:49:38,558 --> 00:49:41,019
…even if you lose,
you still kind of win, you know?
855
00:49:42,729 --> 00:49:44,731
Knight to king seven!
856
00:49:49,611 --> 00:49:53,572
Yesterday I probably had to explain
that I didn't use anal beads
857
00:49:53,573 --> 00:49:55,866
about five different times
to five different people.
858
00:49:55,867 --> 00:49:58,828
That's what my life
and all my accomplishments
859
00:49:58,829 --> 00:50:02,541
and all my work has been boiled down
to fucking anal beads.
860
00:50:03,125 --> 00:50:06,002
Players arriving for the game.
861
00:50:06,003 --> 00:50:10,256
Exactly, as the players get checked
with all the electronic gizmos
862
00:50:10,257 --> 00:50:12,299
that we can possibly muster.
863
00:50:12,300 --> 00:50:14,010
We can see Hans Niemann already.
864
00:50:14,011 --> 00:50:15,636
He arrived to the playing venue,
865
00:50:15,637 --> 00:50:19,432
and he's carefully checked
by the chief arbiter of the event…
866
00:50:19,433 --> 00:50:21,976
Of course, they had
to make a mockery of me.
867
00:50:21,977 --> 00:50:23,478
They were trying to humiliate me.
868
00:50:26,732 --> 00:50:31,819
But as we saw,
he got delayed by the security at check.
869
00:50:31,820 --> 00:50:34,113
That's a very serious wanding.
870
00:50:34,114 --> 00:50:37,700
I felt like everywhere I walked
in this hotel, someone was watching me.
871
00:50:37,701 --> 00:50:40,995
I told myself I had to fight,
but I was not in the mental state
872
00:50:40,996 --> 00:50:42,788
to play chess, unfortunately.
873
00:50:42,789 --> 00:50:45,916
They played kind of
in a very normal fashion
874
00:50:45,917 --> 00:50:49,920
up until move nine,
and then Hans went for a setup
875
00:50:49,921 --> 00:50:54,216
which I don't believe
I've seen before at all.
876
00:50:54,217 --> 00:50:57,219
Every day I'd finish my game
and see all the news,
877
00:50:57,220 --> 00:51:00,098
the new articles, and I couldn't focus.
878
00:51:01,266 --> 00:51:03,350
- Whoa.
- Whoa. Yeah.
879
00:51:03,351 --> 00:51:05,520
Everything I know about chess
880
00:51:07,481 --> 00:51:09,441
indicates this is a terrible move.
881
00:51:10,067 --> 00:51:11,192
It was just my life.
882
00:51:11,193 --> 00:51:13,445
I just knew I was gonna be fucked
for a while.
883
00:51:14,946 --> 00:51:19,492
Since this whole thing,
controversy of the last few days,
884
00:51:19,493 --> 00:51:20,910
it's been impossible for him.
885
00:51:20,911 --> 00:51:22,286
It's a wonder he held…
886
00:51:22,287 --> 00:51:25,832
He held on for so long
before it started coming unglued.
887
00:51:26,374 --> 00:51:29,543
There was a point where
I was looking in the mirror, and I'm like,
888
00:51:29,544 --> 00:51:31,378
"What am I gonna do?"
889
00:51:31,379 --> 00:51:36,675
And at last, we have Hans Niemann
in studio with Alejandro.
890
00:51:36,676 --> 00:51:39,220
Hans, we gotta speak
about the elephant in the room.
891
00:51:39,221 --> 00:51:41,263
You've asked to have some words.
892
00:51:41,264 --> 00:51:43,724
Before the interview, I told him.
893
00:51:43,725 --> 00:51:46,894
I told the interviewer, "I want you
to let me speak uninterrupted."
894
00:51:46,895 --> 00:51:50,940
And in that interview,
I let everything out to public.
895
00:51:50,941 --> 00:51:53,567
Okay, so this is what happened,
when I was 16 years old,
896
00:51:53,568 --> 00:51:57,321
during my streaming career,
in an absolutely ridiculous mistake,
897
00:51:57,322 --> 00:51:59,990
I wanted to get higher rated
to play stronger players,
898
00:51:59,991 --> 00:52:02,701
so I cheated in random games on Chess.com.
899
00:52:02,702 --> 00:52:04,995
Now, I was confronted, I confessed,
900
00:52:04,996 --> 00:52:09,041
and this is the single biggest mistake
of my life, and I am completely ashamed,
901
00:52:09,042 --> 00:52:13,212
and I am telling the world because
I do not want any misrepresentation,
902
00:52:13,213 --> 00:52:14,714
and I do not want rumors.
903
00:52:15,465 --> 00:52:18,634
{\an8}If you were to ask me
how many games I cheated in online
904
00:52:18,635 --> 00:52:20,219
when I'm 12 or 13…
905
00:52:20,220 --> 00:52:21,887
Oh my God, okay.
906
00:52:21,888 --> 00:52:23,764
I think it was nine games.
907
00:52:23,765 --> 00:52:24,975
So it's one tournament.
908
00:52:25,809 --> 00:52:27,310
Around the age of 16…
909
00:52:29,229 --> 00:52:32,691
Maybe… 20 to 30.
910
00:52:33,191 --> 00:52:34,484
Maybe a little mo… I don't…
911
00:52:35,777 --> 00:52:38,530
{\an8}I was a complex person who made mistakes.
912
00:52:40,031 --> 00:52:41,824
You make mistakes as a kid.
913
00:52:41,825 --> 00:52:44,201
Doesn't mean
that through every single thing
914
00:52:44,202 --> 00:52:47,747
that you do for the rest of your life
should be discredited.
915
00:52:48,582 --> 00:52:50,749
He truly is
just a Jekyll-and-Hyde human being.
916
00:52:50,750 --> 00:52:53,587
An immense talent with a ton of issues.
917
00:52:54,796 --> 00:52:57,339
He admitted to just enough
to garner sympathy,
918
00:52:57,340 --> 00:53:00,092
ensuring that anything
we would say after that
919
00:53:00,093 --> 00:53:02,428
would make us look like the big bad guys.
920
00:53:02,429 --> 00:53:04,014
It was exactly the right play.
921
00:53:05,307 --> 00:53:06,682
Then after the game,
922
00:53:06,683 --> 00:53:09,519
I went to go
on Chess.com to log into my account.
923
00:53:10,729 --> 00:53:12,146
Password wasn't working.
924
00:53:12,147 --> 00:53:15,024
Because of this game against Magnus,
because of what he said,
925
00:53:15,025 --> 00:53:18,277
they have decided to completely remove me
from their website.
926
00:53:18,278 --> 00:53:20,196
- Did they give a reasoning?
- No reason.
927
00:53:20,197 --> 00:53:22,698
That was a permanent ban from Chess.com,
928
00:53:22,699 --> 00:53:25,784
and they removed my invitation
from the Global Chess Championship
929
00:53:25,785 --> 00:53:27,996
with a first prize of 200,000 dollars.
930
00:53:28,663 --> 00:53:29,789
It was all…
931
00:53:31,499 --> 00:53:32,667
very well-timed.
932
00:53:34,127 --> 00:53:36,837
I'm like, you can be mad
that I'm unfair to you now.
933
00:53:36,838 --> 00:53:38,923
I was probably too fair to you before.
934
00:53:38,924 --> 00:53:42,052
You lied and you cheated multiple times.
935
00:53:42,636 --> 00:53:46,222
The truth is,
Magnus Carlsen's actions were the catalyst
936
00:53:46,223 --> 00:53:49,683
to a pot that was much closer
to boiling than people know.
937
00:53:49,684 --> 00:53:53,479
I didn't know what I was dealing with.
I acted and removed Hans Niemann
938
00:53:53,480 --> 00:53:56,732
because I could no longer punt
or kick the can down the road
939
00:53:56,733 --> 00:53:59,944
on the fact that I didn't know
whether Hans was cheating again.
940
00:53:59,945 --> 00:54:01,738
That's the reason we removed him.
941
00:54:02,447 --> 00:54:07,368
Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to be honest
and speak the truth about all my enemies.
942
00:54:07,369 --> 00:54:08,744
Welcome, everyone,
943
00:54:08,745 --> 00:54:12,081
to the closing ceremony
of this year's Sinquefield Cup.
944
00:54:12,082 --> 00:54:14,042
Hello, Hans.
945
00:54:15,335 --> 00:54:18,337
I was happy the tournament
was over because I couldn't handle it.
946
00:54:18,338 --> 00:54:19,422
…be here with everyone.
947
00:54:20,257 --> 00:54:23,677
Why was I banned at the exact same time
that Magnus accused me of cheating?
948
00:54:24,678 --> 00:54:26,429
It's not a fucking coincidence.
949
00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:32,811
It's all connected.
950
00:54:36,022 --> 00:54:38,315
They banned me
because they're in the process
951
00:54:38,316 --> 00:54:41,319
of finalizing the most important merger
of chess history.
952
00:54:41,945 --> 00:54:47,908
A merger that will give them complete,
untouchable power over the chess world.
953
00:54:47,909 --> 00:54:51,578
You know, if Magnus wants
to come and party, he can or not.
954
00:54:51,579 --> 00:54:53,789
People would fucking come to this.
955
00:54:53,790 --> 00:54:55,875
They're buying Magnus Carlsen.
956
00:55:05,343 --> 00:55:08,847
{\an8}Play Magnus Group was a group
of 13 companies.
957
00:55:09,556 --> 00:55:12,099
They were one of our main rivals
958
00:55:12,100 --> 00:55:16,271
and kept Magnus Carlsen
from participating on Chess.com.
959
00:55:16,938 --> 00:55:21,358
{\an8}Not having Magnus Carlsen
on Chess.com was like the NBA
960
00:55:21,359 --> 00:55:24,904
but LeBron James was competing
in a separate basketball league.
961
00:55:26,323 --> 00:55:30,744
And so we eventually made an offer
to buy them out.
962
00:55:31,244 --> 00:55:33,747
You know, paid roughly 80 million dollars.
963
00:55:37,208 --> 00:55:39,084
The timing could not have been worse.
964
00:55:39,085 --> 00:55:43,047
If someone writes a story, it's like,
these pieces that randomly fit together,
965
00:55:43,048 --> 00:55:46,925
it almost looks like this great conspiracy
where this happened, that happened.
966
00:55:46,926 --> 00:55:48,552
It was all part of the grand plan.
967
00:55:48,553 --> 00:55:53,058
I'm just a little speck, a little ant
that they decided to step on and destroy.
968
00:55:53,683 --> 00:55:55,726
There's no denying there was pressure
969
00:55:55,727 --> 00:55:58,104
to remove Hans during the Sinquefield Cup.
970
00:55:59,356 --> 00:56:02,649
But I stand by that we did not remove
Hans Niemann because of pressure.
971
00:56:02,650 --> 00:56:04,736
Of course it's fucking coordinated.
972
00:56:05,236 --> 00:56:07,321
They have to pander
to their business partner Magnus.
973
00:56:07,322 --> 00:56:09,865
You know, they can't upset him too much,
974
00:56:09,866 --> 00:56:13,369
or otherwise he'll throw another tantrum,
and when a baby starts crying,
975
00:56:13,370 --> 00:56:15,538
you have to give them something
to shut them up.
976
00:56:16,331 --> 00:56:19,541
You think Magnus's manager isn't
on the phone with Danny Rensch?
977
00:56:19,542 --> 00:56:23,880
"You know, merger this, merger that."
And, "You know Hans Niemann? Yeah."
978
00:56:24,881 --> 00:56:30,553
I don't know how the Niemann case
would impact that one way or the other.
979
00:56:31,054 --> 00:56:34,556
It was just that
we were future team members
980
00:56:34,557 --> 00:56:39,270
that wanted, uh,
to help each other, basically.
981
00:56:40,230 --> 00:56:43,107
I understood that I put myself
982
00:56:43,108 --> 00:56:45,402
in the crosshairs
of some very powerful people.
983
00:56:54,369 --> 00:56:58,664
Henrik and Magnus wanted to know
984
00:56:58,665 --> 00:57:01,792
if Chess.com's anti-cheat technology
985
00:57:01,793 --> 00:57:04,336
could be used to investigate
986
00:57:04,337 --> 00:57:09,634
if Hans had cheated
in any over-the-board games.
987
00:57:10,593 --> 00:57:12,886
Whether it was on his meteoric rise
988
00:57:12,887 --> 00:57:16,932
or during the Sinquefield Cup,
they were asking us, like, can you do it?
989
00:57:16,933 --> 00:57:20,478
We were just looking
for objective information, basically.
990
00:57:21,062 --> 00:57:23,064
And our response was like…
991
00:57:25,942 --> 00:57:27,484
- We'll take a look.
- We'll try.
992
00:57:27,485 --> 00:57:28,861
- We'll try.
- We'll try.
993
00:57:28,862 --> 00:57:30,989
We're gonna find out. Right now.
994
00:57:31,948 --> 00:57:33,867
Danny convinced me that,
995
00:57:34,492 --> 00:57:38,203
"Our algorithm is good
at detecting cheating over the board."
996
00:57:38,204 --> 00:57:41,332
And I believed that, uh, absolutely.
997
00:57:41,958 --> 00:57:44,751
Chess.com has the best cheat detection.
998
00:57:44,752 --> 00:57:45,920
Period.
999
00:57:46,463 --> 00:57:48,505
There's no reason to dance around that.
1000
00:57:48,506 --> 00:57:52,010
Hans Niemann said it himself.
It's not even close.
1001
00:57:53,553 --> 00:57:57,097
We have a huge anti-cheat department.
1002
00:57:57,098 --> 00:57:59,391
We put the most people on it,
1003
00:57:59,392 --> 00:58:02,102
the most amount of money
and resources into it.
1004
00:58:02,103 --> 00:58:05,981
With the biggest server farms
that are crunching the numbers.
1005
00:58:05,982 --> 00:58:08,525
We have all the data, all the algorithms.
1006
00:58:08,526 --> 00:58:10,402
Like, let's go. I want to find this.
1007
00:58:10,403 --> 00:58:13,071
I'm gonna launch
the world's greatest investigation
1008
00:58:13,072 --> 00:58:18,076
to find out how this little cheating kid
gamed the system and beat the champion.
1009
00:58:18,077 --> 00:58:20,330
I'm gonna solve this mystery.
1010
00:58:22,707 --> 00:58:25,834
So many people came out of the woodwork
1011
00:58:25,835 --> 00:58:29,630
to provide Chess.com
with evidence that Hans had cheated.
1012
00:58:29,631 --> 00:58:31,882
I was running down every single story.
1013
00:58:31,883 --> 00:58:34,843
I'm gonna look at every single game
he's ever played.
1014
00:58:34,844 --> 00:58:39,932
We did a very thorough job
investigating all of Hans's games online.
1015
00:58:39,933 --> 00:58:44,228
It was eye-opening 'cause he had
cheated way more than even we thought.
1016
00:58:44,229 --> 00:58:46,564
The online cheating was rampant.
1017
00:58:47,232 --> 00:58:50,735
He had cheated
in well over 100 online games.
1018
00:58:54,030 --> 00:58:56,991
I was like, there's so much smoke here,
there has to be fire.
1019
00:58:59,869 --> 00:59:03,580
And I thought the truth was
that Hans Niemann cheated over the board
1020
00:59:03,581 --> 00:59:05,166
at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup.
1021
00:59:07,460 --> 00:59:10,838
I thought that that was going to be
the end of this story.
1022
00:59:17,804 --> 00:59:20,055
{\an8}A development in the cheating scandal
1023
00:59:20,056 --> 00:59:21,723
that's rocked the world of chess.
1024
00:59:21,724 --> 00:59:24,434
{\an8}A 72-page investigation from Chess.com
1025
00:59:24,435 --> 00:59:28,146
{\an8}found no evidence that Niemann
had cheated in his game against Carlsen
1026
00:59:28,147 --> 00:59:31,066
{\an8}or in any over-the-board games.
1027
00:59:31,067 --> 00:59:36,114
There's nothing in our investigation
to raise any red flags regarding his…
1028
00:59:38,074 --> 00:59:42,035
That's a crazy sentence to read right now.
1029
00:59:42,036 --> 00:59:47,291
Everybody wanted this to be true.
Everyone wanted this to be true.
1030
00:59:47,292 --> 00:59:52,004
And, like, I felt like I was in the chair
ultimately at the end,
1031
00:59:52,005 --> 00:59:55,215
saying, "Sorry, everyone, like,
1032
00:59:55,216 --> 00:59:59,886
this isn't what is being shown
in the data."
1033
00:59:59,887 --> 01:00:01,722
I was arguing with Erik,
1034
01:00:01,723 --> 01:00:04,975
"What do you mean,
the data isn't saying that he's cheating?"
1035
01:00:04,976 --> 01:00:10,480
As time went on, every theory,
every accusation fell apart.
1036
01:00:10,481 --> 01:00:12,691
The over-the-board evidence wasn't there.
1037
01:00:12,692 --> 01:00:15,652
I thought that we were gonna,
like, set the world free
1038
01:00:15,653 --> 01:00:18,030
on the fact that we solved
this incredible mystery.
1039
01:00:18,031 --> 01:00:21,366
And in fact, in the end,
it looked like we fucked up.
1040
01:00:21,367 --> 01:00:24,411
Of course they wanted to find
some smoking gun or some proof like,
1041
01:00:24,412 --> 01:00:25,830
but it didn't exist.
1042
01:00:26,331 --> 01:00:28,790
So it just, unfortunately for them,
I'm innocent.
1043
01:00:28,791 --> 01:00:30,501
I always have been innocent.
1044
01:00:31,002 --> 01:00:33,003
We stood before Magnus Carlsen,
1045
01:00:33,004 --> 01:00:35,714
this brand-new working marriage
of companies together
1046
01:00:35,715 --> 01:00:39,552
and said what they didn't want to hear,
which is that Hans Niemann was innocent.
1047
01:00:40,178 --> 01:00:42,346
That was some of the hardest shit
we had to do.
1048
01:00:42,347 --> 01:00:44,140
And it's the stuff people don't know.
1049
01:00:45,016 --> 01:00:47,351
This is how they operate.
1050
01:00:47,352 --> 01:00:48,644
They talk a lot.
1051
01:00:48,645 --> 01:00:54,399
I've had to tell, especially Danny,
a few times, like, can you just use
1052
01:00:54,400 --> 01:00:57,319
a bit fewer words
to say what you want to say?
1053
01:00:57,320 --> 01:00:58,738
I don't want all the bullshit.
1054
01:00:59,489 --> 01:01:01,199
They didn't have the smoking gun.
1055
01:01:02,367 --> 01:01:04,951
I felt pretty bad.
1056
01:01:04,952 --> 01:01:08,372
I felt that… I'd sort of been gaslit a bit
1057
01:01:08,373 --> 01:01:12,209
by Danny and Chess.com
into thinking that they had evidence
1058
01:01:12,210 --> 01:01:14,961
which they really didn't.
1059
01:01:14,962 --> 01:01:19,509
That's the sort of… the ace that I felt
that I had all the time.
1060
01:01:20,093 --> 01:01:25,013
In retrospect, maybe Chess.com
was so concerned
1061
01:01:25,014 --> 01:01:26,848
about the relationship to Magnus,
1062
01:01:26,849 --> 01:01:30,435
they might have promised
a little bit more than they could deliver.
1063
01:01:30,436 --> 01:01:34,147
It just didn't… just didn't happen.
1064
01:01:34,148 --> 01:01:37,901
So that left me
in a bit of a strange situation.
1065
01:01:37,902 --> 01:01:39,362
What to do now?
1066
01:01:40,947 --> 01:01:43,199
I don't mean to be, you know,
1067
01:01:43,950 --> 01:01:47,953
zealous here,
but everyone's day of judgment comes.
1068
01:01:47,954 --> 01:01:51,206
The teenage chess grandmaster
accused of cheating last month,
1069
01:01:51,207 --> 01:01:54,167
now suing his accusers
for 100 million dollars.
1070
01:01:54,168 --> 01:01:57,672
That's according to a lawsuit
he filed in federal court yesterday.
1071
01:01:58,172 --> 01:02:02,509
We got the news that he'd filed a lawsuit,
1072
01:02:02,510 --> 01:02:05,345
suing, you know, everybody and their dog.
1073
01:02:05,346 --> 01:02:08,807
The filing reads, in part,
"Enraged that the young Niemann
1074
01:02:08,808 --> 01:02:11,226
dared to disrespect the 'King of Chess,'
1075
01:02:11,227 --> 01:02:13,353
and fearful the prodigy
would further blemish
1076
01:02:13,354 --> 01:02:16,273
his multimillion-dollar brand
by beating him again,
1077
01:02:16,274 --> 01:02:18,317
Carlsen maliciously retaliated."
1078
01:02:18,818 --> 01:02:20,361
It was a bit too much.
1079
01:02:21,529 --> 01:02:25,323
Claiming this whole conspiracy
against one kid,
1080
01:02:25,324 --> 01:02:30,455
like, maybe he believes this,
which I really don't think.
1081
01:02:31,581 --> 01:02:35,250
This facade that he puts up
in interviews and media training,
1082
01:02:35,251 --> 01:02:37,085
it's all a complete joke.
1083
01:02:37,086 --> 01:02:39,213
Even his friends don't like him.
1084
01:02:39,714 --> 01:02:43,800
His friends will… Like…
"He's like unbearable even to be around."
1085
01:02:43,801 --> 01:02:49,015
All of his friends would be telling me
about how annoying it is to be around him.
1086
01:02:49,724 --> 01:02:53,478
I sued them
because they lied and they conspired
1087
01:02:54,061 --> 01:02:56,230
and they destroyed my entire career
and life.
1088
01:02:56,731 --> 01:02:59,776
They made a mockery of me,
and they all did it in coordination.
1089
01:03:00,443 --> 01:03:02,445
And no one's denying that.
1090
01:03:03,237 --> 01:03:06,364
I'm the one who had
the most personal relationship with Hans.
1091
01:03:06,365 --> 01:03:10,660
A talented young man individually,
normally focused on only your own chess…
1092
01:03:10,661 --> 01:03:13,789
It's just hard 'cause when you get sued
for 100 million dollars,
1093
01:03:13,790 --> 01:03:18,502
it is the biggest punch in the gut,
the most mind-blowing experience.
1094
01:03:18,503 --> 01:03:21,588
Like, I don't have
100 million dollars, FYI.
1095
01:03:21,589 --> 01:03:24,884
Like, that's not something that is, like,
that is there.
1096
01:03:25,468 --> 01:03:28,970
I certainly don't think
that he's a mentor to me now.
1097
01:03:28,971 --> 01:03:32,432
Actually, you know, I think
all the terrible things he's done
1098
01:03:32,433 --> 01:03:34,226
has inspired me so much.
1099
01:03:34,227 --> 01:03:37,646
So, whatever the opposite of a mentor is…
1100
01:03:37,647 --> 01:03:40,023
It's a mentor
but in the worst possible way.
1101
01:03:40,024 --> 01:03:43,819
So he has the effect of a mentor
by inspiring me and invigorating me
1102
01:03:43,820 --> 01:03:45,780
to destroy all of them.
1103
01:03:46,364 --> 01:03:48,782
Have you not seen
what the guy has done to me?
1104
01:03:48,783 --> 01:03:52,577
{\an8}Have you ever used anal beads
while playing chess?
1105
01:03:52,578 --> 01:03:55,247
{\an8}Not a question I thought
I'd ask a guest, to be honest.
1106
01:03:55,248 --> 01:03:58,751
{\an8}That interview was a good example
of what my life has become, right?
1107
01:03:59,252 --> 01:04:01,712
It's anal beads this, anal beads that.
I have to live with that.
1108
01:04:02,630 --> 01:04:05,215
{\an8}Well, your curiosity is a bit concerning.
1109
01:04:05,216 --> 01:04:08,803
{\an8}Maybe you're personally interested,
but I can tell you no.
1110
01:04:09,303 --> 01:04:10,888
{\an8}Okay, categoric no.
1111
01:04:11,556 --> 01:04:14,392
Just the fact that how Hans
1112
01:04:16,185 --> 01:04:18,687
survived through this process
1113
01:04:18,688 --> 01:04:22,482
and even seemed to "thrive" on this noise,
1114
01:04:22,483 --> 01:04:27,488
it's, uh, it's very impressive
and nearly disturbing.
1115
01:04:28,906 --> 01:04:32,285
Magnus Carlsen, are you still
suing him for 100 million dollars?
1116
01:04:33,870 --> 01:04:35,872
The case has been resolved, Piers.
1117
01:04:37,665 --> 01:04:40,166
There was obviously the settlement.
1118
01:04:40,167 --> 01:04:41,668
Um…
1119
01:04:41,669 --> 01:04:44,005
And, mind you, I didn't want to settle.
1120
01:04:44,672 --> 01:04:51,553
But also, the US legal system sucks,
and it's really expensive.
1121
01:04:51,554 --> 01:04:53,139
He can't look me in the eye.
1122
01:04:54,891 --> 01:04:57,226
He's, like, literally afraid
to even be close to me.
1123
01:04:58,978 --> 01:05:00,354
It's traumatic for him.
1124
01:05:01,188 --> 01:05:03,315
If he had to shake my hand,
or look me in the eye,
1125
01:05:03,316 --> 01:05:05,567
he'd collapse, he'd throw a tantrum.
1126
01:05:05,568 --> 01:05:09,029
I think it's very likely
that I'll play him again.
1127
01:05:09,030 --> 01:05:11,323
But he needs to get a bit better
1128
01:05:11,324 --> 01:05:14,785
to play me in proper,
like, over-the-board tournaments.
1129
01:05:24,170 --> 01:05:28,048
I'm joined by Magnus Carlsen
on the evening before the first match
1130
01:05:28,049 --> 01:05:31,552
{\an8}of the 2024 Speed Chess Championship
in Paris, France.
1131
01:05:32,303 --> 01:05:34,179
Let's address the elephant in the room,
1132
01:05:34,180 --> 01:05:37,642
your semifinal matchup
is against Hans Niemann.
1133
01:05:38,392 --> 01:05:39,894
You've never had a villain.
1134
01:05:42,229 --> 01:05:45,398
How does it feel to have
this kind of presence in your life now?
1135
01:05:45,399 --> 01:05:48,444
Which, it will not go away
so long as you are competing.
1136
01:05:50,029 --> 01:05:53,823
Carlsen has avoided the youngster,
who is now rapidly climbing the charts
1137
01:05:53,824 --> 01:05:56,118
and defeating super grandmasters.
1138
01:05:58,746 --> 01:06:04,668
Niemann has certainly become a lot better
at chess the last couple of years,
1139
01:06:04,669 --> 01:06:08,338
and it's a matchup
I certainly didn't… didn't want.
1140
01:06:08,339 --> 01:06:11,091
The press conference is gonna be up here.
1141
01:06:11,092 --> 01:06:14,344
- Where's the press conference? Here?
- It's gonna be right here.
1142
01:06:14,345 --> 01:06:16,221
I don't do exclusives.
1143
01:06:16,222 --> 01:06:17,889
It's not a matter of an exclusive,
1144
01:06:17,890 --> 01:06:21,643
it's just a matter
of we're a broadcaster of the tournament.
1145
01:06:21,644 --> 01:06:23,603
You gotta be allowed
to have a civil conversation.
1146
01:06:23,604 --> 01:06:24,438
Oh, really?
1147
01:06:25,564 --> 01:06:29,235
The fact that Hans is here
is just, like… it is mind-blowing.
1148
01:06:29,735 --> 01:06:31,444
If someone from Chess.com tells me
1149
01:06:31,445 --> 01:06:33,571
I am contractually obliged,
then I will do it.
1150
01:06:33,572 --> 01:06:34,823
I've done my part.
1151
01:06:34,824 --> 01:06:36,908
He's gotten so much fucking better.
1152
01:06:36,909 --> 01:06:38,618
He's playing the best chess of his career.
1153
01:06:38,619 --> 01:06:41,830
Like, there was no anticipating this.
1154
01:06:41,831 --> 01:06:46,418
It's going to be interesting
from a pure chess perspective
1155
01:06:46,419 --> 01:06:48,504
to see what he can do.
1156
01:06:49,213 --> 01:06:53,133
What's your main feeling
about this matchup with Magnus?
1157
01:06:53,134 --> 01:06:54,509
Is it excitement?
1158
01:06:54,510 --> 01:06:57,595
Is it relief
that you can finally play him again?
1159
01:06:57,596 --> 01:07:00,641
- Is this revenge?
- It's pure serenity.
1160
01:07:01,142 --> 01:07:02,393
Very calm.
1161
01:07:04,854 --> 01:07:08,982
If he loses this match,
it'll be the greatest stain on his legacy
1162
01:07:08,983 --> 01:07:10,985
because he put
his entire career on the line.
1163
01:07:12,653 --> 01:07:15,071
All right. We are here
for the match of the day,
1164
01:07:15,072 --> 01:07:16,990
the one everyone has been waiting for.
1165
01:07:16,991 --> 01:07:19,034
How's the crowd feeling
about today's match?
1166
01:07:19,035 --> 01:07:21,202
Let's go. Let's hear some energy from the…
1167
01:07:21,203 --> 01:07:23,205
Whoo!
1168
01:07:24,832 --> 01:07:26,584
It's time.
1169
01:07:27,710 --> 01:07:31,254
Whoa. Yeah. Yeah, okay.
1170
01:07:31,255 --> 01:07:36,844
Our first player of today's match,
grandmaster Magnus Carlsen.
1171
01:07:38,554 --> 01:07:42,140
There's always a little bit of fear,
1172
01:07:42,141 --> 01:07:44,976
playing against somebody
whom you don't really trust.
1173
01:07:44,977 --> 01:07:49,023
And his opponent,
grandmaster Hans Niemann.
1174
01:07:50,024 --> 01:07:52,984
There's a lot of history.
There's a lot on the line emotionally,
1175
01:07:52,985 --> 01:07:55,028
especially for Hans Niemann.
1176
01:07:55,029 --> 01:07:56,696
You see him there. He's locked in.
1177
01:07:56,697 --> 01:07:59,240
He wants this one
more than anything in the world.
1178
01:07:59,241 --> 01:08:03,495
This is the culmination
of a two-year saga.
1179
01:08:03,496 --> 01:08:06,372
Almost two years to the day.
1180
01:08:06,373 --> 01:08:08,625
Everyone has been waiting
for this matchup.
1181
01:08:08,626 --> 01:08:12,128
The first time that they are sitting
across from each other in two years.
1182
01:08:12,129 --> 01:08:15,965
Your life is defined by critical moments.
And you have chances and opportunities.
1183
01:08:15,966 --> 01:08:19,010
This is one of these opportunities.
And I will rip him to shreds.
1184
01:08:19,011 --> 01:08:23,932
There is potential for this
to spiral if things start the wrong way.
1185
01:08:23,933 --> 01:08:25,309
There's no doubt about that.
1186
01:08:26,936 --> 01:08:28,311
We've got drama.
1187
01:08:28,312 --> 01:08:29,813
We've got action.
1188
01:08:29,814 --> 01:08:32,441
And we are gonna have chess
in less than ten seconds.
1189
01:08:33,442 --> 01:08:35,944
Can I get an amen?
1190
01:08:35,945 --> 01:08:39,990
Life is truly poetic, and I think
that this is the most poetic ending.
1191
01:08:40,699 --> 01:08:41,575
I'm here in Paris.
1192
01:08:44,328 --> 01:08:46,580
It's the best place for revolutions.
1193
01:08:50,000 --> 01:08:51,252
Bring out the guillotine.
1194
01:08:56,173 --> 01:08:59,926
Wow. A4 played by Hans.
He's trying to explode the queen side.
1195
01:08:59,927 --> 01:09:01,469
Magnus darts to the center.
1196
01:09:01,470 --> 01:09:04,639
You see Hans bobbing there
and getting angry. Can he convert?
1197
01:09:04,640 --> 01:09:06,558
What a decision from Magnus Carlsen.
1198
01:09:06,559 --> 01:09:08,601
Only Hans can win-- I'm wrong!
1199
01:09:08,602 --> 01:09:10,938
Gets himself in trouble! It's almost mate!
1200
01:09:13,566 --> 01:09:17,444
This is gonna be a nasty finish
here, and this finally will end the match.
1201
01:09:18,028 --> 01:09:20,905
Seriously, the guy just got it done
in a match.
1202
01:09:20,906 --> 01:09:24,409
What an incredible performance.
1203
01:09:24,410 --> 01:09:28,413
Magnus Carlsen, the world
number one, just took down Hans Niemann.
1204
01:09:28,414 --> 01:09:32,125
A player who is maybe one
of the best known players on the planet
1205
01:09:32,126 --> 01:09:34,210
for some things off the board,
1206
01:09:34,211 --> 01:09:36,546
but his play on the board,
it wasn't quite enough,
1207
01:09:36,547 --> 01:09:39,382
and Magnus Carlsen, he made him pay.
1208
01:09:39,383 --> 01:09:42,844
Magnus Carlsen dominated this match,
1209
01:09:42,845 --> 01:09:46,264
and whatever Hans Niemann
thinks that means,
1210
01:09:46,265 --> 01:09:48,099
and whatever statement that sends…
1211
01:09:48,100 --> 01:09:51,103
Chess is not gonna be speaking
for itself tomorrow, guys.
1212
01:09:53,272 --> 01:09:55,274
Remember that summer
1213
01:09:55,816 --> 01:09:58,611
You were number one
1214
01:09:59,737 --> 01:10:05,701
But everybody said that
Lord, you deserve to have won
1215
01:10:07,578 --> 01:10:12,541
And I say to you
That I deserve to win too
1216
01:10:13,209 --> 01:10:16,503
Well, I'm better for that
1217
01:10:17,129 --> 01:10:19,048
Thanks to you
1218
01:10:22,218 --> 01:10:24,428
It's not the worst city to lose in.
1219
01:10:27,389 --> 01:10:30,893
He always said that he wanted
the chess to speak for itself.
1220
01:10:31,602 --> 01:10:34,939
He wanted to settle things
not in the courtroom,
1221
01:10:35,648 --> 01:10:37,816
but on the chessboard, so…
1222
01:10:41,195 --> 01:10:43,238
I might have lost on the chess board,
1223
01:10:43,239 --> 01:10:46,449
but on my end,
I'm doing pretty fucking well.
1224
01:10:46,450 --> 01:10:49,161
As a lone warrior against a legion.
1225
01:10:51,038 --> 01:10:53,623
Even though my entire life
and career has been destroyed
1226
01:10:53,624 --> 01:10:58,002
and I'll have to live with the fact that
every conversation I have about chess,
1227
01:10:58,003 --> 01:10:59,463
we'll eventually discuss anal beads.
1228
01:11:00,339 --> 01:11:05,302
I am a man on a mission, and they've
made it my life's purpose to win.
1229
01:11:05,886 --> 01:11:08,430
I'm gonna be a stone-cold killer
for the rest of my life.
1230
01:11:10,099 --> 01:11:14,353
There's something about Hans
1231
01:11:14,853 --> 01:11:17,147
that creates an uneasiness inside of me.
1232
01:11:18,148 --> 01:11:20,109
How do you explain Hans Niemann?
1233
01:11:21,151 --> 01:11:24,654
You know, now you have
the Norwegian world champion,
1234
01:11:24,655 --> 01:11:26,073
a god among men,
1235
01:11:26,824 --> 01:11:29,075
the most dominant chess player
of the modern generation,
1236
01:11:29,076 --> 01:11:30,577
and it's not even close.
1237
01:11:31,453 --> 01:11:33,414
And then there's the kid.
1238
01:11:34,373 --> 01:11:36,875
The kid who had the beads?
1239
01:11:39,378 --> 01:11:42,880
He's now one of the most recognizable,
infamous people
1240
01:11:42,881 --> 01:11:44,675
to ever play the game of chess.
1241
01:11:45,467 --> 01:11:48,929
And in my opinion, he lost the person
that he was along the way.
1242
01:11:50,472 --> 01:11:52,849
They're just
a complete chess mafia, really.
1243
01:11:52,850 --> 01:11:54,727
That's it.
1244
01:11:55,936 --> 01:12:00,189
And I just cannot wait for Magnus,
while he's old and disheveled
1245
01:12:00,190 --> 01:12:02,442
and going further deep into his insanity,
1246
01:12:02,443 --> 01:12:05,404
I'm gonna be young, improving,
and he's gonna have to watch it.
1247
01:12:07,072 --> 01:12:08,865
I'm not motivated by spite,
1248
01:12:08,866 --> 01:12:12,994
but if that's gonna inspire him
to be the best version of himself,
1249
01:12:12,995 --> 01:12:14,287
then…
1250
01:12:14,288 --> 01:12:16,122
then, uh, go for it,
1251
01:12:16,123 --> 01:12:18,833
just as long as he plays…
1252
01:12:18,834 --> 01:12:20,502
plays, um, fair.
1253
01:12:21,170 --> 01:12:22,713
I'm going to be the best player.
1254
01:12:25,132 --> 01:12:26,466
No one's gonna believe that now,
1255
01:12:26,467 --> 01:12:29,553
but this clip will play over
and over again in ten years. Just wait.
1256
01:12:30,804 --> 01:12:34,641
I know things that the world doesn't,
and that's because I can see the future.