A US federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the suit of chess player Hans Niemann, who was seeking $100 million in compensation from those who accused him of cheating in tournaments, including his Norwegian rival, the former champion of the Magnus Carlsen world. “We are pleased that the court has parried Hans Niemann’s attempt to recover undeserved money,” responded Craig Reiser, a lawyer for Mr. Carlsen, quoted by the Wall Street Journal.
The 20-year-old American, a prodigy according to those close to him, had filed a libel suit in a Missouri state court in this resounding case that shook the world of chess and fascinated millions of Internet users.
The St. Louis scandal
It all started on September 5, 2022, when Hans Niemann defeated Magnus Carlsen in the Sinquefield Cup, a chess tournament held annually in St. Louis, Missouri. The 32-year-old Norwegian, five-time world champion, then withdrew from the tournament with a bang, cryptically accusing his opponent of cheating.
His claims were later echoed by international grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and the world’s leading online chess platform, chess.com, that the young grandmaster “probably cheated” at least 100 times online. Hans Niemann admitted to cheating on chess.com when he was between 12 and 16 years old, but denied having continued and said he was “ready to play naked” to prove his skill.
Niemann continues to play in tournaments
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) opened an investigation on September 29 to shed light on this affair, described by many as the biggest scandal in the history of chess. Since it broke out, Hans Niemann has continued to line up in chess tournaments, though losing some ground in his international rankings.
Magnus Carlsen has decided not to play the last world chess championships disputed in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which saw the crowning of the Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren against the Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi. Magnus Carlsen is still considered the greatest chess player of the 21st century.