Matt in court: Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann suffered a painful defeat in his fight against the allegations of cheating, which were also raised by former world champion Magnus Carlsen.
The American’s $100 million lawsuit against Carlsen and others was dismissed by the Missouri court. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday (06/27/2023).
Carlsen’s representatives reacted with relief. “We are pleased that the court rejected Hans Niemann’s attempt to appropriate an undeserved amount and that Niemann’s attempt failed.”, his lawyer Craig Reis told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Father Henrik Carlsen declined to comment further on the verdict.
Niemann took action against the Norwegian, his company Play Magnus Group, the online platform chess.com and other players. He had accused them of slander and collusion, wanting to destroy his reputation and deprive him of his livelihood. His career was also destroyed by the fraud allegations and his life was ruined.
When Carlsen was silent and then tweeted
Niemann was excluded from numerous competitions after Carlsen first made specific allegations of fraud against him at the end of September 2022. The Norwegian had previously met Niemann in a top-class online tournament and ended the game after a move without comment.
He later tweeted an old interview of football coach José Mourinho, who said: “I prefer not to say anything. If I say something, I’ll get in big trouble, and I don’t want to get in big trouble.“
Niemann has admitted to cheating twice in virtual tournaments, aged 12 and 16. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) had also launched an investigation to clear up the case.