Streamer Benjamin “DrLupo” Lupo has admitted to using assistance from a chess engine during the PogChamps 6 tournament, which boasted a $100,000 prize pool. While he initially pushed back against the accusations, he later published several messages on X (formerly Twitter) expressing regret.
The incident occurred on April 30 when DrLupo, whose rating on Chess.com is around 650, faced YouTuber Wolfey Glick, rated 1340 Elo. During their game, Lupo made a blunder that cost him his queen. However, following this error, all of his subsequent moves were described as near-perfect, allowing him to win the game.
Spectators quickly noticed that DrLupo appeared to look towards another monitor before making his moves. The streamer initially asserted he did not use any outside help. He also offered the defense that he had lost all his other games that day. Nevertheless, the tournament organizers, Chess.com, decided to disqualify Lupo. The content creator eventually posted that he was withdrawing from the tournament himself to support the integrity of the competition. At that time, he claimed the second monitor was used to watch other participants` games and check the chat, where he alleged people were feeding him moves.
However, the following day, DrLupo confessed to resorting to using a chess engine. According to his statement, he panicked after losing his queen. He explained that a desire for self-validation and to prove he could still win from that position drove him to cheat. The streamer acknowledged the high level of hypocrisy, noting that he himself had frequently condemned cheaters in games like Escape from Tarkov, yet he employed similar tactics in the chess match. DrLupo shared that he has long-standing psychological issues related to objective self-assessment and personal honesty. He stated he would be resuming therapy to address these underlying problems. He also acknowledged that he had failed to live up to the trust of his viewers but expressed hope for future forgiveness.
Finley Holt