• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, June 4, 2025

The Most Heated Rivalry in Chess Is Back After Two Years

  • Magnus Carlsen is set to face Hans Niemann at the Speed Chess Championship semifinals in Paris on Friday.
  • Niemann maintains Carlsen conspired to end his career by accusing him of cheating.
Magnus-Carlsen-Chess
Shutterstock

The last time Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann met over a chessboard, it resulted in a scandal that triggered a lawsuit and a broad examination of the integrity of the game. On Friday, they meet again.

The Speed Chess Championship semifinal in Paris will feature Carlsen, the world’s top player, facing the man he accused of cheating two years ago.  At stake will be shares of the tournament’s total $175,000 prize pool and a claim in the game’s fiercest reputational battle.

In September 2022, Niemann defeated Carlsen in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis. The tournament is part of the Grand Chess Tour, an annual series of five tournaments that carries a total prize pool of more than $1 million. It was Carlsen’s first loss with the white pieces in nearly two years in the classical format, in which players have around two hours to think during their moves, and it altered the face of the ancient game. He withdrew from the tournament the following day—the first mid-tournament withdrawal of his career—and eventually accused Niemann of cheating.

Niemann, who has admitted to previous cheating, only added to the suspicion in an interview following his victory with a series of confusing explanations for his moves and what appeared to some to be a cover story for making computer-recommended moves in the game’s middle stages: Niemann said he had the good fortune of analyzing the exact line that he and Carlsen played earlier that same day.

The incident quickly expanded into a broader discussion in the chess community. With computers far better than the best humans and online play increasingly popular for both casual play and paid tournaments, cheating is rampant despite advanced detection systems.

Though he was allowed to finish the tournament, Niemann soon found his career threatened. He was banned by Chess.com, the game’s most popular online platform, and disinvited from its $1 million Global Championship later that year. The site produced a 72-page report, detailing cheating by Niemann beyond what he had admitted to. He soon found other tournament invites hard to come by. The cheating allegations against Niemann reached the point when he was asked on live television whether he had used vibrating anal beads during matches.

Though Carlsen and Chess.com maintain they acted independently of each other, they had an awkward coincidence of their own: A month before the Sinquefield Cup, Chess.com agreed to purchase Carlsen’s company, Play Magnus Group, for more than $80 million. The merger was finalized the following December on the same day the platform announced it had reached 100 million users.

Niemann would launch his counteroffensive the next month: a $100 million lawsuit against Carlsen, Chess.com, its chief chess officer Daniel Rensch, and grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, who is favored to face the winner of Carlsen and Niemann’s match Friday. He alleged Carlsen and Chess.com colluded to destroy his career.

A judge dismissed Niemann’s claims of defamation and all parties eventually settled, at least in the legal sense. Niemann was allowed to return to Chess.com and play in its events, including the tournament that has him in Paris on Friday.

Niemann, however, has not backed down. In a fiery interview last month following his quarterfinal victory in the Speed Chess Championship, he called Chess.com a “monopoly and mafia,” and doubled down on the claim that the Play Magnus merger motivated his ban from the site. 

As for his semifinal opponent, Niemann claims plenty of motivation to pull an upset.

“The only reason I was defamed and attacked was that someone had a personal vendetta and acted to ruin my career.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 23, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (27) throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning at Petco Park.

Trevor Bauer Gets Legal Win Over Accuser for Violating Settlement Terms

Judge orders woman who brought sexual assault allegations to pay over $300,000.
Soccer

Chicago Stars Aren’t Asking for Taxpayer Stadium Money—Yet

A unique new law will compel Illinois lawmakers to consider women’s teams.
Thibs
breaking

Knicks Fire Tom Thibodeau in Stunner After Deep Playoff Run

Thibodeau led the Knicks to four playoff appearances in five seasons.

Featured Today

Alex Jensen introductory press conference on Monday, March 17, 2025.

Alex Jensen Started Utah Utes HC Job While Still Coaching the Mavs

How Jensen began building an NCAA program while patrolling the Dallas sideline.
May 31, 2025

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA), left, defeats Gabby Thomas (USA) to win the women's 200m, 21.99 to 22.10, during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field.

Grand Slam Track Investigating Man Saying He Heckled Gabby Thomas to Win..

The league announced a “full investigation into the reprehensible behavior.”
John Haliburton
May 28, 2025

John Haliburton’s Brief Ban Ends With Pacers on Brink of Finals

John Haliburton was sitting in a suite instead of his usual courtside seat. 
June 1, 2025

Verstappen Nears F1 Suspension After ‘Mario Kart’–Style Mayhem

The Red Bull driver received penalty points in Sunday’s race.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Cousins
May 27, 2025

Kirk Cousins, James Cook Among Prominent NFL OTA Absences

The NFL’s 2024 rushing touchdowns leader was among the absences Tuesday.
May 27, 2025

Dodgers’ Biggest Deadline Pickup Might Already Be in L.A.

Ohtani faces batters as a pitcher for the first time in 21 months.
Russian hockey
May 27, 2025

Russia Still Banned From 2026 Winter Olympics, IOC Confirms

Russia men’s hockey won gold and silver in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
May 27, 2025

How Much Do NFL Agents Make?

We dive into what agents make at American football’s highest level.