Untold: Chess Mate Review: When Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann clashed at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, allegations kept swirling about the latter’s cheating to win. However, one among them truly lived the test of time and left everyone in complete shock at the sheer absurdity of the situation.
Untold: Chess Mate Netflix Director
Thomas Tancred
Untold: Chess Mate Movie Cast
Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann
The film has a runtime of 75 minutes.
Untold: Chess Mate Review
As ridiculous as it sounds, the September 2022 controversy surrounding the breathtaking match between the chess grandmasters Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann rocked the world in more ways than one. Firstly, the thought of cheating at such a prestigious moment, surrounded by eyes, is a point of discussion in itself. However, when the discussion shifts to using anal beads to do the cheating, it’s a can of worms (or beads?) that no one probably wanted to open.
Of course, nothing has been proved, and it’s all internet sleuths trying to fish for something concrete, but it’s just so hilariously crazy that you can’t help but look for some truth somewhere. Of course, there is no official proof and chess.com and other third-party investigators alike tried to look into Carlsen’s allegations, ultimately coming up with nothing. But Niemann’s consistent pattern of cheating during online games didn’t help his case, that’s for sure.
The documentary focuses on the original issue and then Niemann’s own opinions surrounding Carlsen’s alleged conspiracy with chess.com and other head honchos of the chess world. It’s an interesting watch, and also extremely crazy because the allegations and accusations feel like they are straight out of a Reddit thread. There are a lot of political discussions in the film that will be very interesting, especially as other chess bigwigs join the conversation. It’s a bizarre discussion, no doubt, but one that truly does pull you into its embrace.
The documentary ends with Niemann and Carlsen’s match in 2024, although nothing “polarising” came out of it. The film ends on that note, but just before that, Niemann calls Carlsen insane and the entire chess world a “chess mafia.” As I said, the film offers nothing of note, but it’s these comments that are just so hilarious, and along with some other unhinged comments, that you can’t help but cackle.
The drama is rife in the film, and I think the makers do it on purpose to make it more than it probably was. It thrives on the sheer absurdity and scale of the drama, and the docufilm is able to capture that quite well. The rivalry between the two men at hand is also quite enjoyable to watch play out on screen. However, that’s almost as much as the film brings to the table because it doesn’t present anything new or even concrete in front of us, relying on conflicting perspectives and the viewers’ own interpretations of them.
Final Thoughts
But, in the end, Untold: Chess Mates doesn’t give us anything new, per se. It’s a story where you have to believe who you believe because there are no facts to back up any claims. The content is juicy, polarising and has nothing new to offer. However, if you require a refresher on this odd problem that once graced our screens, it’s an interesting one to go back to.
What are your thoughts on Untold: Chess Mates? Let us know in the comments below!
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