26 September 2023 , 07:49
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The chess prodigy who became infamous after being accused of using a vibrating sex toy in his bottom to cheat has denied the allegations and countersued his accusers.
American teen Hans Niemann has now sued Chess.com and the Norwegian grandmaster who branded him a cheat for defamation, claiming they colluded to blacklist him from the game. Self-labelled King of Chess Magnus Carlsen, 31, was reportedly worried that the rising star would topple his multi-billion dollar empire after defeating him in September last year.
Internet chess server and networking site Chess.com followed up on the accusations in a statement a few weeks after the incident, claiming that it was "likely" that the 19-year-old had cheated in hundreds of games.
Niemann facing off against Carlsen during their match last September (Crystal Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.)Niemann vehemently denied the accusations, saying that he had only ever cheated twice - when he was 12 and 16. He said that he deeply regretted both incidents.
In court papers filed in Missouri, US this week, Chess.com executive Daniel Rensch and chess streamer Hikaru Nakamura are named as defendants alongside Carlsen. Niemann is calling for a jury trial and seeking $100million (£82,118,500) for the "devastating damages that defendents have inflicted upon his reputation".
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Carlsen and Chess.com had alleged that Niemann's coach entered codes on to an app that created vibrational patterns on the anal beads that were inserted in his bottom, which somehow told him which moves to make. The prodigy later offered to strip naked to prove the rumours were false.
His lawsuit reads: "Carlsen's unprecedented actions, coupled with his unfounded accusations, sent shock waves through the chess world and instantly thrust Niemann into the center of what is now widely reported as the single biggest chess scandal in history.
"Even though Carlsen had no legitimate basis to believe Niemann actually cheated against him, he could ensure that no reputable chess tournament would invite Niemann to compete in the future, and his false accusations would cause other top chess players to boycott Niemann as well."
The documents add that Carlsen was driven by financial greed, with him fearing a defeat could lead to the collapse of his Player Magnus brand - a chess training app - after they merged with Chess.com for $83million just a month earlier.