World chess champion Magnus Carlsen has refused to play against teenage competitor and accused him of repeatedly cheating.
Chess
The 31-year-old player has explained his decision not to face Hans Niemann, 19, in the Julius Baer Generation Cup last week, as he instead made a single move before quitting the game.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) responded to say Carlsen has "a moral responsibility attached to his status", and insisted there "were better ways to handle this situation".
Carlsen refused to paly after Niemann beat him in the Sinquefield Cup earlier in September, although the teenager has insisted he won fair and square despite outrageous suggestions he used "wireless anal beads" to communicate winning moves.
Now, Carlsen has issued a statement and said: "I know that my actions have frustrated many in the chess community. I’m frustrated. I want to continue to play chess at the highest level in the best events.”
He made further cheating allegations against Niemann, claiming his "over the board progress has been unusual".
He continued: "Throughout our game in the Sinquefield Cup I had the impression that he wasn’t tense or even fully concentrating on the game in critical positions, while outplaying me as black in a way I think only a handful of players can do."
Carlsen urged chess organisers to "seriously consider increasing security measures and methods of cheat detection for over the board chess".
He added that he is "not willing to play chess with Niemann", and said: "Unfortunately, at this time I am limited in what I can say without explicit permission from Niemann to speak openly."
There has been no firm evidence of Niemann cheating in the Sinquefield Cup, although he has been accused of cheating in prize-money matches on Chess.com, and has been banned from the platform.
However, he is still able to take play at Chess24.com.