Hans Niemann, Magnus Carlsen & Hikaru settle dispute after adult toy chess cheating claims
Pixabay/GMHikaruHans Niemann has been cleared of using an adult toy to cheat at chess following a viral scandal and accusations by Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura.
The chess world was rocked by cheating allegations last year when 19-year-old Grandmaster Hans Niemann defeated Magnus Carlsen twice, leading to insulations of foul play.
This ended up resulting in theories about how Niemann could be cheating from popping up, including one popularized by Twitch star Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel that an adult toy could be transmitting moves.
Now, according to Chess.com, all sides involved have settled their differences with their legal dispute now over and the three are able to talk freely about their views.
Hans Niemann cleared of using adult toy to cheat at chess
The accusations against Niemann resulted in the chess prodigy suing both Magnus Carlsen & Hikaru for $100M, but luckily, an agreement has been reached and the chess world can move forward.
Chess.com says that it stands by its 2022 report that Hans didn’t cheat in any in-person games and has been fully reinstated.
“I am pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner, and that I am returning to Chess.com,” Niemann said. “I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court.”
Meanwhile, GM Hikaru says he felt like he was dragged into this whole ordeal, but said it’s “good” that chess can move forward and glad that cheating continues to be taken seriously online and over the board.
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Carlsen accepted the decision, saying that he “acknowledges” and “understands” the report, and has agreed to compete against Niemann in future games if they’re matched against each other.
It’s not clear when Carlsen and Niemann might end up competing against one another once more, but it will be a must-watch event when the two battle it out on the board.