Hans Niemann, the American player accused of cheating, files a complaint

Hans Niemann counterattacks. The young American chess player filed a complaint Thursday, October 20, in the United States against those who accuse him of cheating, including his Norwegian rival the champion Magnus Carlsen. He claims 100 million dollars (102 million euros) in damages.

The 19-year-old, a prodigy according to those close to him, has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in Missouri against the five-time world champion and other players in the chess world, including the Chess.com platform, whom he accuses of “defamation” and of “collision”.

Read also: Chess: Norwegian Magnus Carlsen openly accuses American Hans Niemann of cheating

Their allegations have “nipped in the bud his remarkable career and ruined his life”, write his lawyers in this complaint consulted by Agence France-Presse. Hans Niemann was excluded from numerous competitions and “can no longer get jobs as a chess teacher in serious schools”, they assure. The complaint is the young chess master’s most notable act since the outbreak of what his lawyers call a “biggest scandal in history” of discipline.

It all started on September 5 when the young American beat the Norwegian star in the Sinquefield Cup in the United States. Magnus Carlsen then withdrew from the tournament, accusing him of cheating. His claims were later echoed by American player Hikaru Nakamura and the world’s leading online chess platform, Chess.com, for whom the young grandmaster has “probably cheated” at least a hundred times in online games.

“Ready to play naked” to prove his talent

In his complaint, Hans Niemann accuses his detractors of having acted in a concerted manner out of financial interest. “Fearing that the young prodigy would endanger his multi-millionaire brand by inflicting more defeats on him, Carlsen retaliated by accusing him without proof”write his lawyers.

Mr. Carlsen has, they say, benefited from the support of the site Chess.com because he is in the process of selling him his company Play Magnus for 83 million dollars. As for Hikaru Nakamura, “he’s Chess.com’s most influential streaming partner”they assure.

Hans Niemann admitted to cheating on Chess.com, when he was between 12 and 16 years old, but denies having continued and said to himself “ready to play naked” to prove his talent.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) opened an investigation on September 29 to shed light on this affair.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Magnus Carlsen, the world chess champion who no longer wants to be

The world

source site-28