The chess prodigy who was accused of hiding anal beads to beat his opponent in a high-profile tournament has denied cheating allegations in a new interview.
Hans Niemann was accused of cheating to win against Magnus Carlsen.
This statement to Piers Morgan comes more than a year after the duel between Hans Niemann, a 20-year-old American, and the current world number one in September 2022.
The game shocked the chess world – after Nieman, a rising talent from San Francisco, unceremoniously unseated the Norwegian in front of the world.
After the game, however, Niemann was not praised, but rather judged critically. Labeled a fraud, he defended himself against claims that he was secretly advised by a trainer behind the scenes – in a way that made headlines at the time.
After being officially cleared of the charges last month, Niemann has now returned to chess – and had some strong words for Morgan Sunday when asked about it.
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When Hans Niemann (left) appeared next to his lawyer, he criticized the allegations that he had used vibrating anal beads to cheat – and appeared annoyed when he was asked about it again
The game shocked the chess world – after Niemann, a rising talent from San Francisco, unceremoniously defeated the Norwegian at the prestigious Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis last year
“Categorically no,” said Niemann, seeming irritated by the question. ‘Of course not.’
Morgan persevered, however, giving the young prodigy a taste of his signature interview style by bringing up parts of his interviewees’ past that they might find painful: in this case, perhaps a poor choice of words.
The English commentator asked: “The allegation was that your trainer had instructed you to insert anal beads into yourself to which he would then send long-distance signals.”
“What was your reaction when this story broke?”
Niemann, sitting next to his lawyer, replied: “Of course it was very disheartening to be accused of fraud after this victory.”
“But you know, these things… it happened, and I learned a lot from that time.”
Niemann stumbled as he realized, seemingly in real time, how strange the claims that had weighed on him for more than a year were, and then bragged that he was a better man now.
“It really taught me a lot of important lessons about life and chess, and I think it only strengthened my resolve,” he told Morgan, some 11 months after chess officials found no evidence to support the sensational claims .
However, the conversation became more tense when Morgan asked directly whether Niemann had used this method against Carlsen at the prestigious Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis last year – prompting a pointed and somewhat humorous response.
“Categorically no,” Niemann told Piers Morgan on Sunday, appearing confused by the question. At one point, the prodigy even took a swipe at the interviewer, questioning his interest in the strange method of cheating
Apparently Niemann had had enough and coolly told Morgan when asked if he had ever used anal beads to cheat: “Well, your curiosity is a bit worrying, you know – maybe you’re personally interested, but I can tell you say no.”
Carlsen, 31, was eliminated from the $500,000 Sinquefield Cup after being beaten by Nieman in the third round, sparking online speculation that he suspected foul play
He later released a statement suggesting the then-teenager had cheated and shared a meme of a post-match interview with Jose Mourinho in which the coach said: “If I speak, I’ll be in big trouble.”
“Just to be clear – you didn’t cheat?” Morgan asked Niemann, who was sitting next to a lawyer who was silent.
‘Of course not’.
Morgan continued: “To be clear, on the specific allegation: Have you ever used anal beads while playing chess?” before quipping: “To be honest, I never thought I’d ask a guest a question, but-“
Apparently fed up, Niemann answered coolly, “Well, your curiosity is a bit worrying, you know – maybe you’re personally interested, but I can tell you, no.”
The interview, which aired Saturday on Piers Morgan Uncensored, comes just weeks after Carlsen, 32, and Niemann filed a $100 million lawsuit from the American over the scandal – and the scrutiny he faced has since been suspended – have settled.
It also comes shortly after an acquitted Niemann – whose victory is now officially attributed to his opponent’s unusually shoddy endgame play – returned to chess last month, tweeting at the time: “Hello chess world, did you miss me?”
The allegations began after Niemann defeated Carlsen in a surprise result at the event in the chess capital of the world last year, sparking polar opinions among chess fans.
The 19-year-old chess prodigy had previously said he would play naked to prove doubters wrong after rumors suggested he could have used vibrating anal beads
The 20-year-old prodigy has competed in tournaments around the world and competed in his first ranked event at the age of eight. He is pictured at a game in 2013 and exactly in 2014 at the age of 10, when he became the Mechanics Institute Chess Club’s youngest winner in its 159-year history
As an eighth-grader in 2017, Niemann won first place at a local chess championship. In the picture he is playing with his friend Gavin Spandow, who described Hans as “fiercely competitive and anything but humble.”
Following his defeat, Carlsen – perhaps the world’s best-known chess player – was eliminated from the US$500,000 Sinquefield Cup after being beaten by the American in the third round, leading to speculation that he suspected foul play.
Carlsen even released a statement suggesting that the then-teenager had cheated and shared a meme of a post-match interview with Jose Mourinho in which the soccer coach said: “If I speak, I’ll be in big trouble.”
The self-taught grandmaster from San Francisco skyrocketed up the world rankings when he faced Carlsen, who was unbeaten in 53 games.
However, the prominent scholar’s strategy failed in his final game, and Niemann – who had been competing in tournaments around the world since the age of eight at the time – took advantage of an unusually inferior style.
“It must be embarrassing for the world champion to lose to me,” he told reporters.
‘I’m sorry!’
He attributed his victory to a “ridiculous miracle” and claimed he had watched a video that morning of Carlsen using a similar game plan in a game four years earlier.
As rumors grew, Niemann underwent a humiliating 90-second body scan in front of laughing spectators before competing in a tournament a few weeks later.
Chess.com banned Niemann and later published a report saying he probably cheated more than 100 times in online games.
The prodigy admitted cheating online between the ages of 12 and 16, but denied any wrongdoing while taking part in over-the-board games.
A US judge in June this year dismissed part of Niemann’s lawsuit and cited lack of jurisdiction in other parts.
However, informal talks between the parties continued for months and resulted in an unspecified agreement in August – months after the chess site’s extensive report found no evidence that Niemann had ever cheated in a game locally.
On August 28, Chess.com issued a statement reinstating Niemann to Chess.com with no restrictions on his participation in the online events judged on the site.
“We are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Hans Niemann to put our differences behind us and move forward together without further litigation.”
“At this point, Hans is fully reinstated at Chess.com and we look forward to his participation in our events.”
“We would also like to reiterate that we stand by the findings of our October 2022 public report regarding Hans, including the fact that we found no clear evidence that he cheated in any in-person games.”
“We all love chess and appreciate all the passionate fans and community members who make it possible for us to do what we do.”
At the time, Carlsen also made a statement admitting that he would be “willing to play Niemann in future tournaments should we come together.”
Niemann, meanwhile, said he would repeat his win in the rematch.
“I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess and not in court,” he said in a video posted on social media after his reinstatement.
“I would like to reiterate my opinion that the chess.com report was defamatory and I reject their claims.”
“There will be a day when I will be the best chess player in the world.”