Episode 1: The Scandal

Rooked: The Cheaters' Gambit

The date is September 4th, 2022. Two elite players sit down at a chess board. In the third round of action at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri, the number one classical chess player in the world Magnus Carlsen loses to 19-year-old Grandmaster Hans Niemann, who has been making his name as the bad boy of chess. Magnus accuses Hans of cheating - and this ends up being the first domino to fall in what would soon become one of the most outrageous scandals to shock the chess world. Anal beads, Elon Musk, and a $400-million dollar lawsuit ensue…in that order. And that’s just the beginning.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode briefly mentions sexual abuse within the chess community and physical abuse by law enforcement in the last 10 minutes of this episode. If you wish to avoid mention of either or both of these topics, you can turn this episode off at the 57-minute mark or 60-minute mark, respectively, and pick up with the next episode.
Hosted by good producer / bad chess player Jess Schmidt and first-time podcaster / good chess player Ryan Webb, this series explores the events leading up to and following the Sinquefield Cup cheating scandal and tries to unravel the truth of what really happened - or, failing that, what the heck these events could mean to chess.
Thanks for listening!
If you’d like to read a time coded transcript of this or any other episodes, visit rookedpodcast.xyz/transcripts
Written, hosted, and produced by Jess Schmidt and Ryan Webb.
Edited, mixed, and mastered by Jess Schmidt.
Music by Lorna Gildfedder.
Executive producers are Rooney and Indigo Schmidt-Webb (ruff, ruff! Awooooo!)
Clips featured in this episode:
“Niemann: Magnus Must Be Embarrassed to Lose to Me | Round 3”, Saint Louis Chess Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCeJrItfQqw
“All Hans Niemann Interviews at the FTX Crypto Cup”, Chess Island: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at74bySfZ40
“Jose Mourinho - If I speak I'm in big trouble”, Arman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wtvXoXh0VU
“BREAKING: Magnus Carlsen Will Not Play Today | Round 4”, Saint Louis Chess Club:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kiD2uT5V8A
“Hikaru's Stunned Reaction to Magnus' Withdrawal”, GM Hikaru Clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2TlPxjqE_w&t=129s
“Hikaru comment on Hans”, GM Hikaru:
https://clips.twitch.tv/SuccessfulHardPuppyKappaWealth-oNxkQ8JeSktXQ3SK
“Hans not allowed to play for 6 months on chesscom”, GM Hikaru:
https://www.twitch.tv/gmhikaru/clip/BlitheDrabSwordJKanStyle-5yUuq5mQoGpjKl2N
“Niemann: I Have NEVER Cheated Over The Board | Round 5”, Saint Louis Chess Club:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJZuT-_kij0&t=1116s
“Tony Rich: Magnus’s Decision is Personal | Round 4”, Saint Louis Chess Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VElLYxf08C0
“Wesley So: Lost Sleep Over Drama | Round 5”, Saint Louis Chess Club:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr1Btm8wd4w
“Magnus Carlsen RESIGNS on MOVE 2 against Hans Niemann!!!”, chess24.5:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfLbPO9RRa0
“Magnus Carlsen on The Last Tournament (FULL INTERVIEW)”, Magnus Carlsen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c50PJmOj2-U
“Meanwhile... Sitting Is Killing Us | Anal Bead Chess Scandal”, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLwyhmmEoAQ
“Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann cheating saga: Full explanation by GothamChess”, Lex Clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIDIfOtHS2E

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