Dubov sparks controversy after missing match against Niemann, accepts open challenge with lie detector test
Dubov sparks controversy after missing match against Niemann, accepts open challenge with lie detector test
Former World Rapid Champion Daniil Dubov has sparked a new controversy surrounding cheating in chess after missing his crucial round against the USA’s Hans Niemann during the Blitz event of the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championship in New York on Tuesday.
Despite the no-show, Dubov later accepted Niemann’s challenge for a head-to-head match.
Niemann was awarded a point by default after Dubov failed to appear for their scheduled game. Explaining the incident to Norwegian media outlet NRK, Dubov said, “I went to the hotel to quickly prepare for the game, but then I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was too late, so I came back later and continued playing.”
When asked how he could sleep through such an important match, Dubov quipped, “I don’t know, I’m obviously talented.”
Following the incident, Niemann extended an open challenge to Dubov. “Happy to play Dubov in a blitz match under ANY conditions. I will pay for his travel/accommodation and offer a $10,000 reward to a charity of his choice if he wins,” Niemann posted on social media platform X.
Dubov accepted the challenge after Niemann’s quarterfinal loss to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen but with specific conditions.
In an Instagram post, Dubov proposed a lie detector test for Niemann. “I’m ready to play, under the following conditions: You agree to a lie detector test with a trained professional… Test to feature only questions about cheating, with the results to be communicated to the community at large. If the test comes out clean, I will admit my decision was rash and play a 24-game blitz match against you, 8 games a day, $2,000 per point,” Dubov wrote.
Despite forfeiting the game to Niemann, Dubov nearly advanced to the knockout stage, finishing with 9.5/11 points—equal to the top eight players — but was edged out due to tiebreak criteria stemmed by his missed match.
Carlsen added fuel to the controversy by suggesting that Dubov’s absence may have been deliberate to ‘prove a point.’ This comes amid lingering tensions after Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating in 2022.
Although Carlsen later retracted his claims following a $100 million defamation lawsuit from Niemann.
