Elon Musk claims Niemann may have used 'anal beads' to beat Carlsen in Chess Championship

Hans Niemann, a 19-year-old American chess master who received the Grandmaster title from FIDE, is the subject of the greatest chess controversy since 2006. This comes after the 19-year-old American chess player was accused of cheating by world champion Magnus Carlsen, who withdrew from the $500,000 Sinquefield Cup after losing a game to the 19-year-old on September 4.

Many theories are circulating on the internet that Hans cheated in the tournament by employing wireless anal beads that assisted him by vibrating the correct moves. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has now added his voice to the conspiracy hypothesis. According to reports, Musk re-tweeted a video of the content producer who suggested that Niemann might be using "anal beads" to go around the system and avoid being caught by the event organisers.

The user who posted the viral video wrote, "Currently obsessed with the notion that Hans Niemann has been cheating at the Sinquefield Cup chess tournament using wireless anal beads that vibrate him the correct moves."

Musk has since deleted his tweet, but the archived version as well as the screenshots are still making the rounds on the internet. The Tesla CEO quoted the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer while re-sharing the viral video. He wrote, "Talent hits a target no one else can hit, genius hits a target no one can see (cause it’s in your butt) – Schopenhauer."

Hans willing to play "naked" in order to prove his innocence

Despite all the allegations circulating online, Hans eventually broke his silence and said that he had used computer assistance to cheat while playing online as a child, although he denied doing so during this event. In a recent interview on September 6, Hans stated that he was willing to play "naked" in order to prove his innocence.

Hans was cited by The Guardian as saying, "If they want me to strip fully naked, I will do it. I don’t care. Because I know I am clean. You want me to play in a closed box with zero electronic transmission, I don’t care."

It is important to mention here that chess players in events as grand as the Sinquefield Cup must pass through several screening stages before being assigned to a table and chair. Additionally, the tournament's anti-cheating protocol includes radio-frequency identification checks and a 15-minute delay in the transmission of moves.

In recent months, Carlsen's form has been fragile. He was defeated by R Praggnanandhaa, a young Indian Grandmaster. On the other hand, Musk is known for tweeting absurd things for laughs and jokes. Consequently, some online users think that the rumours of a conspiracy behind anal beads are unfounded.

Image: Twitter/AP