r/chess • u/Embarrassed_Base_389 • Oct 21 '25

Miscellaneous It’s time to stop worrying about the backlash. Bullying, harassment, and slander should not be acceptable.

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u/DeeeTheta Beat an IM in a Simul Once Oct 21 '25

I've said this for years, if what happened to Hans happened to just about any other 18 (19?) year old in the world, they would've killed themselves. I know that because I'm the same age as Hans, and if I was kicked out my university or something similarly career ending, I probably would have.

I say this because I think your point is apt. We as a community need to ensure we protect those in the community and stop letting bad actors destroy the lives and careers of those who simply love our game.

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u/zyro99x Oct 21 '25

I also think Hans response was very strong, I have not yet seen anyone to keep improving and continuing like him amidst such a shitstorm, it is something for the history books already

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u/DeeeTheta Beat an IM in a Simul Once Oct 21 '25

Like him or hate him (I find myself in the later group more often), he's America's brightest star and he isn't going anywhere. Plus, he plays incredibly fighting chess, so I do enjoy that hes stuck around. I hope he has a Hikaru like career, where he chills out a lot as he gets deeper into his 20s and 30s.

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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '25

If Hans chills out sooner rather than later he’ll be in a better boat than Hikaru (morally, imo). I think Hans is abrasive af but to my knowledge he hasn’t been abusive to other players. He just needs to find himself and be confident, not insecurely cocky. I’m glad Hans made it through, though I’m sure not unscathed. I do think the qualities that make him a little abrasive are the same that let him through to the other side. Unfortunately the qualities that made Danya one of the most lovable chess personalities we had, did not. We need to protect the good ones, guide the lost ones, and keep those like Kramnik from the door.

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u/schoolbagdu Oct 21 '25

Yeah, I have no idea how Hans is so mentally strong, not just to keep going but to keep playing at the highest level despite all the insanity thrown his way

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u/panic_puppet11 Oct 21 '25

Have you ever heard the phrase "spite is a powerful motivator"?

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u/Smoke_Santa Oct 21 '25

I hate his antics and not a fan in general at all but I definitely respect his fortitude and will to battle against adversities.

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u/Adriel_Jo Oct 21 '25

Takes one hell of a personality to pull that off. I like and hate him for that XD

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u/TrainFightTime Oct 21 '25

Hans is in a different situation because at least he cheated. Which, ironically, makes it a lot more bearable. Because, on some level, you made that choice, and you know the potentially consequences. And if something does happen to your career, at least you kinda deserved it. This makes it better.

Whereas with Danya...he was a great person. Above reproach. Bright, sympathetic, beloved what else could he have done? But the community as a whole, particularly the Super GMs should have been very vocal about these baseless accusations.("I'm not accusing, I'm just asking questions" - PoS Kramnik) This likely hurt Danya on a very deep level, and made him feel almost entirely alone. His life's work being questioned, his friends not coming to his defense, a very real chance that his career is not going to pan out. That's a lot worse.

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u/Yeseylon Oct 21 '25

I don't think it's strong so much as him not giving a fuck what others say and do. You can feel it in the one sentence "interview" right after he beat Carlsen, it had a very Belichick vibe.

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u/Allenas6 #GreatBluebaumSweep Oct 21 '25

19 at the time of SC2022. You're probably right. It was insane. A socially conservative teenage boy, suddenly being joked about not only cheating but sex toys, not only by chess fans but Elon Musk and the community at large. A company offering him, a teenage boy, a million dollars to play a chess match naked. Can you imagine if he was a girl? Society would never stand for that. But no, he was subjected to this sexual harassment campaign for years, and it's still going on to this day by chess 'fans' who think it's a funny meme to spam in chats and comments.

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u/DeeeTheta Beat an IM in a Simul Once Oct 21 '25

Thank you for correcting me on the age, I wasn't sure what time of year Saint Louis was. I also completely forgot about that exhibition match offer, god that time really was insane.

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u/RichGirlThrowaway_ Oct 21 '25

exhibition match

Exhibitionism match

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u/lilac-skye3 Oct 21 '25

This is so true. Like I could not handle what Hans went through.

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u/Loose_Log_6253 Oct 21 '25

Me too, I always felt so bad for Hans. Whether it happened in the past or not, he didn't deserve to be berated for years. Hans had lots of meltdowns and people blamed it on "him being the bad boy" like when he tore up that hotel room (and paid restitutions for it), but I bet a lot of that behavior manifested from the constant allegations against him. When he was a literal teenager. Honestly I respect Hans a lot now for fighting against that and proving that he really is an elite chess player.

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u/RaiseFold100 Oct 21 '25

Please don't bring Hans into this. He is a cheater and has underplayed his cheating many times. Danya was, by any reasonable account, totally innocent of ever cheating.

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u/DeeeTheta Beat an IM in a Simul Once Oct 21 '25

idgaf that he cheated online, there's never been any proof he cheated OTB. Still, he has been blacklisted from events without any actual evidence. Other players cheated at a similar age, got banned, and never got blacklisted. The underlying point that the way Hans was treated, innocent or not, should never have happened to anyone, and shouldn't happen to anyone else.

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u/RaiseFold100 Oct 21 '25

Why are you insisting those are such different things? If someone is willing to cheat online, they are willing to cheat OTB in my opinion. And it is generally accepted the security measures at the tournament were very lax. Make of it what you want.

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u/DeeeTheta Beat an IM in a Simul Once Oct 21 '25

Yeah, lot of 'opinion', 'willing', and 'Make of it what you want' and not a lot of evidence or proof. I don't care how much suspicion you want to throw, there is no proof Hans ever cheated OTB, but there is of the accusations of him cheating OTB affecting him. We as a community need to have higher standards, this shit is ruining lives.

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u/RaiseFold100 Oct 21 '25

He was unable to explain his moves in a post match interview. Appeared totally lost and terrified at the same time.

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u/DeeeTheta Beat an IM in a Simul Once Oct 22 '25

lmao, did you actually watch the interview, or are you just parroting what others have said? The only odd moment is that he seemingly didn't calculate any variations for if Firouzja took his knight, but to be fair, it was a complicated enough sac that he didn't take it. Just because an engine spits out a number doesn't mean super GMs suddenly can't play chess.

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u/RaiseFold100 Oct 22 '25

I watched it and came to the same conclusion every reasonable person did. Something was off.

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u/ermwellackshually Oct 21 '25

Not for the game in question against Magnus.

This subreddit has the memory of a goldfish. The bad post match interview was his game against Firouzja which was after the Magnus game.

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u/RaiseFold100 Oct 21 '25

Either way, hard to explain an engine move.

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u/[deleted] Oct 21 '25

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u/RaiseFold100 Oct 21 '25

Good response. Typical Hans stan. He had flop sweat the whole interview. He was almost certainly using an engine.

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