Entire Hans Niemann vs. Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Chess.com controversy explained
Hans Niemann's reported libel lawsuit against the best chess player in the world, Magnus Carlsen, his company, GM Hikaru Nakamura, and Chess.com has to be one of the biggest controversies to grace the chess world this year. The lawsuit claims that the plaintiff's reputation and integrity have been put into question by the perpetrators, which has affected his ability to have a career in the sport.
Niemann is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for what he describes as a "smear campaign" conducted by chess legend Carlsen — with his company, Play Magnus, having a role in it — and Chess.com. Also in the mix is American Grandmaster and Twitch streamer/YouTuber Hikaru Nakamura, who is listed as being part of the alleged conspiracy.
With so many things happening over the last month, here is a comprehensive timeline explaining the events that led to the filing of a lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and others.
Arguably one of the biggest cheating scandals in chess, the problem started during the 2022 Sinquefield Cup after Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the tournament following a loss to Hans in the third round. What fueled the fire of controversy was this tweet on the subsequent day, which many interpreted as a cheating allegation.
The next time the two chess players met, another unprecedented event occurred as the five-time World Chess Champion forfeited his match against Niemann after playing a single move on September 19. The decision stumped many, and the press statement Carlsen released on September 27 brought everything to a head.
The statement posted on Twitter by Magnus Carlsen accused Hans Niemann of cheating without going into the specifics. As expected, the chess world as a whole had quite a lot to say about
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