Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann bury chess hatchet

OSLO – Norwegian multiple world chess champion Magnus Carlsen and

American Hans Niemann, accused of cheating at an event in 2022,

have buried the hatchet and are ready to face off again, online platform Chess.com said on Monday.

A

US$100 million (S$135.5 million) defamation lawsuit

filed against the five-time world champion Carlsen and the world’s largest chess site has been settled.

Terms were not disclosed, but, in the parlance of chess, all parties appear to have called it a draw, meaning there were no winners – or losers.

“Since June, both sides have negotiated privately in a good-faith effort to resolve their issues and allow the chess world to move forward without further litigation,” Chess.com said in a statement.

“We are happy to share that all sides have reached an agreement.”

The fallout between the pair dates back to September 2022, when 20-year-old Niemann defeated Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, Missouri.

The 32-year-old Carlsen promptly withdrew from the tournament, accusing his opponent of cheating.

That claim was later echoed by international grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and Chess.com, suggesting that

Niemann had likely cheated at least 100 times online.

Chess.com, which has more than 145 million members, released a 72-page report concluding that Niemann had cheated on its platform and that his progress in over-the-board chess, as the in-person version of the game is known, had been uncharacteristically fast.

Though Chess.com presented no evidence that Niemann had cheated in over-the-board play, it barred Niemann from the site.

Niemann has admitted to cheating on Chess.com when he was between 12 and 16 years old but he denies having continued doing so.

His lawsuit suit named Carlsen, Nakamura and Chess.com as defendants.

The International Chess Federation (Fide) also opened an investigation in September 2022 into the affair, described by many as one of the biggest scandals in the history of chess.

Niemann had previously said he was ready “to strip naked” to prove his skill.

“I acknowledge and understand Chess.com’s report, including its statement that there is no determinative evidence that Niemann cheated in his game against me at the Sinquefield Cup,” Carlsen said in a statement, acknowledging the findings to that effect of a Chess.com public report.

“I am willing to play Niemann in future events, should we be paired together.”

The report in October “found no determinative evidence that (Niemann) has cheated in any in-person games”.

Chess.com quoted Niemann as saying: “I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court.”

In the statement announcing the settlement, the platform also said it was rescinding its ban of Niemann and allowing him to participate in all activities on its site, including tournaments with cash prizes that run to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

However, the settlement is probably not the last word on the controversy.

As it made clear, all parties in the litigation will now be allowed to “talk openly about their views”, meaning without fear of legal repercussions. It would not be surprising if people in the chess world, including Carlsen, Nakamura and Niemann, continued to weigh in.

In addition, there is a looming investigation from Fide, the game’s governing body, into the matter.

The probe reportedly went beyond the events at the tournament in St Louis. A report was to have been released in March, along with possible recommendations for sanctions against the players involved, but in May, the federation postponed the release, citing its desire not to be entangled in the litigation.

At the time, the federation said it would release the report in October.

Regarded as the greatest player this century, Carlsen decided not to play in the last World Chess Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, which saw the crowning of Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren after he beat Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi. AFP, NYTIMES