The chess cheating scandal since September has reignited. 19-year-old chess grandmaster Hans Niemann sued world champion Magnus Carlsen and others for his $100 million in damages.
of defamation lawsuit Chess.com, a popular online platform where players compete in tournaments, has colluded with Carlsen and Play Magnus to ban Niemann from its website and future events, and to “carlsen’s baseless and defamatory misconduct accusations. It claims to give credit to (In August, Carlsen’s popular chess app, Play Magnus, accepted Chess.com’s $83 million takeover offer. The lawsuit says the combined company would “monopoly the chess world.”) Streaming partners colluded with Carlsen and Chess.com through “video content” to bolster fraud allegations. The complaint also alleges that Chess.com Chief His Chess Officer Danny Rensch issued “defamatory press releases of him.”
These actions “destroyed Niemann’s stellar career in his prime and ruined his life,” the federal lawsuit states. “Chess is Niemann’s life.”
“My lawsuit speaks for itself,” Niemann tweeted Thursday.
Polygon has reached out via email to Magnus Carlsen’s manager, Play Magnus Group of Companies chief executive, and Hikaru Nakamura’s WME agent, but has not yet received a response.
Chess.com attorneys Nima Mohebbi and Jamie Wine of Latham & Watkins, LLP issued an emailed statement to Polygon.
We are saddened by Hans Niemann’s decision to take legal action against Chess.com. We believe his lawsuit will hurt the game of chess and its avid players and fans around the world.
Chess.com prides itself on its reputation within and outside the chess community and will always defend the game, its players and their mission to grow and protect online chess.
Hans has publicly confessed to cheating online in the wake of the Sinquefield Cup. As stated in an October 2022 report, Chess.com has historically dealt with Hans’ previous misconduct privately and will only clarify its position after he speaks out publicly. was forced to
Mr. Hans has no basis for his claims. Chess.com looks forward to setting the record straight on behalf of the team and all honest chess players.
Chess cheating began when Niemann defeated Carlsen in a Sinkfield Cup match in St. Louis in September. Carlsen abruptly withdrew from the tournament, but did not give a reason why. On Sept. 26, Carlsen tweeted an official statement, saying he believed Niemann had been duped. Carlsen did not provide evidence, but said Niemann felt “not tense in key positions or not fully focused on the game.”
Regarding Carlsen’s behavior after the Sinkfield Cup, “Carlsen, who is notoriously incapable of dealing with defeat, has said it once and for all,” the lawsuit alleges. “Furious that the young Neiman, 12 years his junior, dared to downplay the ‘King of Chess’, and fearing that the young genius would beat him again and further hurt his multi-million dollar brand, Carlsen expressed ill will. I took it and retaliated against Niemann.”
Niemann has never been caught cheating in an over-the-board match (a match played in person, not online). but, He admitted to cheating in two Chess.com matches — When I was 12 and 16. In that same video, he even suggests playing naked to prove he wasn’t cheating. Bizarre claim of cheating with anal beads(The lawsuit notes that Sinquefield Cup’s anti-cheat measures have been beefed up to include a “military-grade metal detection scan.”)
However, on Chess.com, Banned Niemann from the platform on September 8, tweeting an official statement as to why. and in early October wall street journal An investigation by Chess.com found Niemann violated “fair play” more than he said, and said his cheating spanned more than 100 games.
In the lawsuit, Chess.com’s statements were “false” and designed to “further defame Neiman” by accusing him of being a “liar” in addition to being a “serial online fraudster.” It states that The lawsuit also states that a “conspiracy theory” has gone “viral on the internet,” resulting in “defamatory accusations,” including the fact that the Tata Steel Chess Tournament “ceased all contact.” Niemann said it was a lost opportunity. Vincent Kemer “refused to play” in a match against Niemann.
