 "Hans Niemann reacts to Magnus Carlsen’s comments on 2022 cheating scandal: 'I'd rather retire than...'")
American Grandmaster Hans Niemann hasn’t been on best of terms of Magnus Carlsen ever since the Norwegian chess legend accused him of cheating in 2022. And following Carlsen's revelations on the scandal on a popular podcast recently , relations between the two appear to have nosedived even further.
Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, the world’s top-ranked player revealed why he was “very, very suspicious” of Niemann’s gameplay during their match in the 2022 Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, USA, and that he still doesn’t trust him.
“There was a combination of things, based on the chess level that I thought that he had, and that I had seen from his games. Both by playing against him and analysing a bit with him and by looking at his games. There were a lot of stories back then.
“I don’t trust him, and a lot of top players still don’t trust him. He certainly doesn’t trust me or Chess.com, Hikaru (Nakamura), or whoever he felt wronged by,” Carlsen told podcaster and former television host Joe Rogan in the episode that was posted on YouTube on Thursday.
Niemann slams Carlsen for “malicious accusations” and “character assassination”
Niemann responded to Carlsen’s comments on the following day, saying that he would “rather retire” that continue making “malicious accusations”.
“I’d rather retire than stoop to malicious accusations and character assassination. My commitment to chess is eternal, the chess will speak in due time,” Niemann wrote on X on Friday.
I'd rather retire than stoop to malicious accusations and character assassination. My commitment to chess is eternal, the chess will speak in due time.
— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) February 21, 2025
Impact Shorts
More ShortsNiemann had filed a $100 million federal lawsuit against Carlsen as well as Nakamura and the website Chess.com after he was accused of cheating in his victory over Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup.
The 21-year-old American had admitted to cheating in online games earlier in his life when he was 12 and 16, but insisted he had never done so over the board.
Niemann later agreed to settle the dispute with Carlsen and the other parties in August 2023, a couple of months after a US judge had dismissed his suit.
Niemann, however, renewed hostilities with Carlsen recently after the latter found himself involved in a bitter feud with FIDE – due to his controversial acts in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York as well as for promoting the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour at the global governing body’s expense.
“Arrogant, Entitled, Unaware, and most importantly: Cowardly. Your childish ego continues to distort reality at the expense of chess. You’ve defeated yourself off the board, only a matter of time until you face the same fate on the board,” Niemann had written on X in response to a post by Carlsen that had targeted FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich.
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