A documented history of cheating online counts as "no evidence" in your book?

Is a conviction evidence of a future crime? No, it isn't.

It certainly doesn't help his case. If you have had troubles with the law prior to a new crime, it gets taken into consideration negatively by the judge. Same with cheaters. It means he is a cheater by definition and has the moral compass to cheat again.

It is zero evidence that Hans has ever cheated OTB, yeah.

Past criminal behavior is routinely admitted as evidence in court.

It's not proof, but it is evidence.

You're refusing to see this, by the way. You're capable of understanding what I said without me saying it.

This isn't a court, and it isn't criminal behavior. If it was a court and it was criminal behavior, we'd expect innocent until proven guilty and the benefit of the doubt. Which no one is giving Hans.

Is criminal activity as a minor used as evidence in Adult trials? I feel like that should hold less water

Not exactly. Chess GMs have a somewhat "over-fitted gut." On studies done on their memory, they could routinely recall a chess board after seeing that board for only a few moments provided that the layout the pieces could be reached in a regular game. When the board was laid out in an unlikely manner, they performed no better than the control group.[1]

Let's say you arrive home with your 2y/o child and are greeted with dog shit on the floor. If I asked the 2y/o who shat on the floor they wouldn't be able to answer, but you could easily deduce that the dog did it. Why? Because you have an immense bank of experience concerning everyday causality that the 2y/o doesn't have.

Magnus has a bank of human chess moves in his mind, that we don't. He knows that the dog shat on the floor.

And keep in mind that Magnus has not thrown this accusation around in the past, even in the face of defeat.

[1]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brain-study-shows...

It kinda smacks of some deficit in the modern game. Consider a hypothetical chess player who does not cheat, never has cheated, but through some combination of the occasional atypical move or odd behavior, makes players think they are cheating.

They seem to be saying that such behavior can confer an advantage — that to seem to be cheating is itself cheating.

I say we carry on like normal. Either Niemann's success falls apart, he messes up and gets caught, or we find out he's actually onto something brilliant.

Yeah it is 100% what it means. In contrast with the me-too stuff, Magnus did not even see Hans cheat. If Magnus could say

Most people just don't like Hans. They don't like his personality, so they have motivation to pile on. See this comment that has been linked EVERYWHERE: https://talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=80630&start...

Nevermind have people shot down this dudes analysis, but he says in the post "But, if you will permit some editorializing, despite Niemann's claims that "it's impossible to play under these conditions," he gives every indication of quite enjoying the attention."

What fucking garbage that is a smear on the face of chess.

That comment seems pretty damning. Maybe it would help your point to link rebuttal.

He did cheat in impactful events, and he admitted it.

Online games often:

- are how players make their living in cash tournaments

- qualify for OTB events (including wct events)

- are rated by FIDE or national organizations

- count for points in otb/online hybrid tournaments.

All of those are significantly impactful for a professional player.

That's barely true.

In other words, it's completely true. Right? Things are either true, or not. Which is it?

Come on, just have the guts to admit it.

No, lots of half truths, non substantiated.

- are how players make their living in cash tournaments

Players make their living in titled tuesday events? I guess the winner gets $1,500... so if you win every week..

- qualify for OTB events (including wct events)

Titled tuesday qualifies you for OTB events? where did you get this from? first time I'm hearing it.

- are rated by FIDE or national organizations

Titled tuesday is rated by FIDE?

- count for points in otb/online hybrid tournaments.

Titled tuesday ... again...

Hardly anything what you said is true.

Hans?

Yeah. He cheated online. By his own admission. I wouldn't say that is impactful events.

I cheated with your wife, but would you like to go to dinner with me to discuss business? I promise I won't do it again.

Thanks

That's exactly what this means.