Chess Feud for the Ages Is Over

Chess.com will welcome back alleged cheater Hans Niemann, with Magnus Carlsen's toleration
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 29, 2023 1:33 PM CDT
Chess Feud for the Ages Is Over
Chess Grandmaster Hans Niemann, 19, studies the board during a match against Grandmaster Christopher Yoo, 15, at the US Chess Championship in St. Louis on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022.   (David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

The feud between Norwegian former world chess champion Magnus Carlsen and American grandmaster Hans Niemann, which hit its peak with the filing of a $100 million lawsuit, has been resolved. Chess.com, which banned Niemann for cheating and was cited in his defamation suit, announced Monday that Niemann would be welcomed back to events on the website, including matches against Carlsen, who'd accused the American of cheating in his victory over the Norwegian in September's in-person Sinquefield Cup. "I am willing to play Niemann in future events, should we be paired together," said 32-year-old Carlsen, per the Washington Post. "I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court," said Niemann, 20.

The resolution marks a change from October when Chess.com published a lengthy report claiming Niemann had cheated more than 100 times in online games. Niemann accused the website and Carlsen of conspiring to defame him. After a judge dismissed his lawsuit in June, the parties "negotiated privately in good faith," reaching an agreement that will end Niemann's attempt at an appeal, according to Chess.com's statement.

The website said it stood by its October assessment—"everyone deserves a second chance," said a rep—but stressed that it had found no conclusive evidence that Neimann cheated during in-person matches, including the Sinquefield Cup match. "I acknowledge and understand Chess.com's report," Carlsen said. The International Chess Federation wrapped up its own investigation into the issue in February, though its report won't be released until October at the earliest, per the Post. With this resolution, "nobody is admitting they were wrong, and everything goes back to the status quo," per Gizmodo. (More chess stories.)

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