IM Joachim Birger Nilsen (29) resigned because the president of the Norwegian Chess Federation, a day after admitting to dishonest on Chess.com throughout one match within the 2016-2017 season of the PRO Chess League. Nilsen was a part of the Norway Gnomes group, as was GM Magnus Carlsen on the time.

Nilsen admitted to dishonest after three totally different sources had instructed Norway’s primary public information and radio station NRK that he had cheated for the Norway Gnomes. On Friday, he instructed NRK that in one of many matches of the preliminary group stage, throughout three of the 4 speedy video games, he was receiving help from one other individual within the room the place he was taking part in.

“That is just not allowed, it’s a must to play alone, with out assist,” Nilsen mentioned. “It was not authorized, and I’m fairly clear about that. The proven fact that it was a few years in the past has nothing to do with it. You should not do that in any respect.”

According to Nilsen, it was suspected that one thing unlawful had taken place, however he was nonetheless allowed to proceed within the event. This was confirmed by a member of Chess.com’s Fair Play group, who mentioned: “We have been very involved about him however simply didn’t have sufficient to tug the set off.”

Chess.com did ship an e mail to group captain GM Jon Ludvig Hammer on the time, expressing their considerations. When Hammer confronted Nilsen about it, he denied the allegations.

Hammer says he confronted IM Joachim Nilsen, the present President of the Norwegian Chess Federation with dishonest allegations after receiving an e mail from chesscom saying that they had “flagged” him and put him “underneath overview”. He denied all the pieces. https://t.co/Lavr0LFmA1

— Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS) October 6, 2022

IM Danny Rensch, Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com, gave the next assertion:

We know many are questioning why we didn’t shut his account or take away him from play primarily based on these 4 video games, and 119 whole “plies”. Consider this:

Imagine that his stage of play may be achieved by a participant of his power just one out of 1,000 instances. That sounds extremely unbelievable.

Now contemplate that each month hundreds of titled gamers play on Chess.com. If we closed accounts primarily based on a 1/1000 likelihood of being unsuitable (false constructive), that will imply that each month we might doubtlessly shut a number of titled participant accounts unfairly. So, ought to we have now closed Nilsen’s account despite the fact that adjusting our requirements would possibly end in some accounts being unfairly closed?

Did we consider it to possible be dishonest on the time? Yes, we have been extremely suspicious, and as Tarjei Svensen’s tweet concerning Hammer’s remark confirmed, we contacted the Norwegian group as is coverage within the PRO Chess League if any single participant is “flagged” as suspicious.

That mentioned, we didn’t shut as a result of we have now decided that false positives are unacceptable and unfair. Have our requirements made us extra lenient at instances, and subsequently seemingly gradual to behave? They have. But the stakes of being unsuitable are too excessive. We solely act when on the most stage of confidence. We hope you perceive.

We are sharing this to be extra clear about our course of. We will proceed to share extra over time.

For sake of transparency, Chess.com shared photos of their inner communication concerning the matter that went down in real-time on April 25, 2017:

IM Greg Shahade, one of many primary organizers of the PRO Chess League, commented about Nilsen’s dishonest: “I do not suppose it is honest for lots of detrimental consideration to be heaped onto him. He had no have to volunteer this data, it was from a few years in the past, and dozens and dozens of different sturdy gamers have cheated.”

Shahade added: “Cheating is a severe risk to chess, particularly on-line, nevertheless I consider that Chess.com is doing all the pieces doable to battle in opposition to this situation. I hope that in time, gamers can be simply as hesitant to cheat on-line in money occasions as they’re in over-the-board chess tournaments.”

Nilsen, who was elected president of the Norwegian Chess Federation this summer time, resigned from his place on Friday morning. “The solely proper factor is that I step down as president now, each for the chess federation and the atmosphere as an entire,” mentioned Nilsen in a assertion. He hasn’t responded but to a request for remark.

The information, which at present dominates the sports activities pages in Norway, brings additional gas to the Carlsen-Niemann dishonest controversy. In feedback over the previous weeks, a number of grandmasters have expressed that dishonest is extra widespread than the chess world appears to pay attention to. Last week, Vice’s Motherboard printed emails between Chess.com and GM Maxim Dlugy, wherein the Russian-born American grandmaster, who has coached Niemann, admitted to dishonest on the positioning.

Norway’s largest newspaper VG despatched a reporter to Mayrhofen, Austria to get a remark from Carlsen concerning the matter. Asked how he feels about leaving the Sinquefield Cup a month in the past, contemplating how the chess world appears proper now, Carlsen gave a short reply: “I stand my floor.”