American chess grandmaster Hans Niemann recently reignited tensions with World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, taking to social media to remind fans of their ongoing feud stemming from the 2022 cheating scandal. Niemann’s remarks followed Carlsen’s exclusion from a round at the World Rapid Championship in New York after he refused to adhere to the tournament’s attire rules, which led to a fine. The controversy surrounding Carlsen’s return to the World Blitz Championship after FIDE relaxed its dress code was met with criticism from Niemann.
On X (formerly Twitter), Niemann expressed frustration over Carlsen’s actions, claiming that allowing one player to “mock the tournament” while bending the rules was disappointing. He criticized FIDE for not protecting the integrity of the game, adding, “The Chess.com mafia tried to ruin my career because of a similar emotional outburst. Someone must take a stand!”
The rivalry between Carlsen and Niemann traces back to September 2022 during the Sinquefield Cup, when Carlsen lost to Niemann in their third-round match and then withdrew from the tournament. Carlsen’s abrupt exit sparked suspicions of cheating, further fueled by Carlsen resigning after just one move in their next encounter at an online event. Niemann admitted to cheating in online games during his youth but denied any dishonesty during the match with Carlsen or in any over-the-board competitions.
In the wake of the scandal, Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating more frequently than he acknowledged, leading to Niemann being banned from Chess.com. The platform later released a report detailing allegations of Niemann’s online cheating. FIDE subsequently launched an investigation, while Niemann filed a lawsuit against Carlsen, Play Magnus Group, and others for defamation and unlawful collusion. The case was dismissed, and the parties eventually reached a settlement, with Niemann reinstated on Chess.com. Carlsen later indicated that he would be willing to play against Niemann if they were paired in future events.
Amid the jeans controversy in New York, Niemann also accused Carlsen of trying to discredit FIDE and promote his own chess tour as the official world championship.
