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Hans Niemann sues chess champion Magnus Carlsen over cheating charges


(FILES) In this file photo taken on October 6, 2022 US International Grandmaster Hans Niemann waits for his turn to move during a second round chess match against Jeffery Xiong on day two of the Chess Club King Saint Louis Fall Chess Classic in St.  , Missouri.  -

(FILES) United States international grandmaster Hans Niemann. (Photo by Tim Vizer/AFP)

American grandmaster Hans Niemann, in the latest move in a scandal that has rocked the chess world, on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen after the Norwegian world champion accused him of cheating. .

Niemann, in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Missouri, is seeking $100 million in damages from Carlsen, his Play Magnus Group company, Danny Rensch of Chess.com, the world’s leading online chess platform. , and American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.

Niemann accused the defendants of slander, libel and collusion to destroy his reputation and livelihood.

Carlsen publicly accused Niemann cheating, and chess.com alleged in a report earlier this month that the 19-year-old American had “probably cheated more than 100 times” in online games.

In his complaint, Niemann said Carlsen, 31, the five-time defending world champion, Rensch and Nakamura had caused “serious damage” to his reputation and career by “smearing” severely smeared him.”

It accused them of “illegally colluding to blacklist him from the profession he has devoted his life to”.

“Since the age of 16, Niemann’s only means to support himself has been through the money he earns from teaching chess and participating in chess tournaments,” the lawsuit states.

After Niemann “clearly defeated” Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup tournament in Missouri on September 4, the Norwegians “wretchedly and maliciously retaliated against Niemann by falsely accusing Niemann, without any evidence, of somehow cheating in their live match,” it said.

Chess.com, the lawsuit says, “banned Niemann from its website and all its future events, in order to give credibility to Carlsen’s baseless fraud and defamation allegations. “

Florida-based Nakamura, an influential streaming partner of Chess.com, allegedly publishes “hours of amplification of video content and attempts to bolster Carlsen’s false fraud allegations.”

‘Ready to play naked’

rlsen is pictured in game nine against Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi during the FIDE Dubai World Chess Championship 2021, at Dubai Expo 2020 in the Gulf emirate, on December 7, 2021.

Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen of Norway. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

Chess.com banned Niemann on September 5, shortly after the first allegations were made.

Niemann’s lawsuit alleges that Chess.com’s move was made under pressure from Carlsen, the Play Magnus company currently being acquired by Chess.com for $83 million.

“Carlsen, after cementing his ‘Chess King’ position, believes that when it comes to chess, he can do whatever he wants and get away with it,” the complaint says.

Two weeks after the Sinquefield Cup loss, Niemann and Carlsen met again in the sixth round of the online Julius Baer Generation Cup.

Carlsen resigned after making just one move and issued a statement that he would not “play with people who have repeatedly cheated in the past”.

The International Chess Federation announced on September 29 that it was opening an investigation into the alleged cheating.

Niemann has admitted to cheating in the past on Chess.com, when he was between 12 and 16 years old, but denies the most recent allegations, insisting he was “ready to play naked” if needed.

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