In a remarkable turn of events, chess prodigy Hans Niemann has put an end to the defamation lawsuit that stemmed from bizarre cheating allegations involving anal beads during a high-stakes chess match.
Our readers may recall the astonishing story that unfolded last year when Hans Niemann, an up-and-coming American chess grandmaster, triumphed over the reigning Norwegian world champion, Magnus Carlsen, in a gripping chess battle held in September. What was meant to be a momentous victory for Niemann soon spiraled into controversy as Carlsen, stung by his defeat at the hands of the 19-year-old American, made a startling accusation. He claimed that Niemann had resorted to using wireless vibrating anal beads to gain an unfair advantage in their match.
This unexpected turn of events took place after Magnus Carlsen’s remarkable 53-game winning streak was brought to a shocking halt by Niemann at the prestigious Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis. To make the situation even more intriguing, Niemann was the lowest-ranked participant in the competition, and his victory marked the first time Carlsen had been defeated in over two years.
Subsequently, Carlsen withdrew from the tournament and issued a statement, making serious allegations against Niemann. Adding complexity to the matter, Niemann admitted to previous instances of cheating in online matches on Chess.com, leading to his temporary expulsion from the platform. However, he adamantly maintained that he had never resorted to cheating in real-life chess matches.
The origins of the peculiar rumor suggesting that Niemann had used vibrating anal beads to cheat remain unclear, but it rapidly spread across the internet, gaining widespread attention after a tweet from Elon Musk.
In response to the accusations, Niemann took legal action by filing a defamation lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen, Chess.com, and fellow player Hikaru Nakamura.
Although the $100 million (€92 million) lawsuit was dismissed by the courts in October, the involved parties have now reached a private settlement to put the matter to rest.
In an official statement, Chess.com stated, “At this time, Hans has been fully reinstated to Chess.com, and we look forward to his participation in our events. We would also like to reaffirm that we stand by the findings in our October 2022 public report regarding Hans, including that we found no determinative evidence that he has cheated in any in-person games. We all love chess and appreciate all of the passionate fans and community members who allow us to do what we do.”
Magnus Carlsen has acknowledged the report from Chess.com and expressed his willingness to face Niemann in future chess events should the opportunity arise.
Niemann himself commented on the resolution, saying, “I am pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner, and that I am returning to Chess.com. I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court and am grateful to my attorneys at Oved & Oved for believing in me and helping me resolve the case.”
With this controversy behind them, both Hans Niemann and Magnus Carlsen can now focus on what truly matters – their chess prowess and the exhilarating games that lie ahead on the board.
