Hans Niemann, the American teen Grandmaster sensationally accused of dishonest by Magnus Carlsen, has filed a defamation lawsuit towards the Norwegian world champion and different events, including one other twist to the “single greatest chess scandal in historical past”, because the lawsuit phrases it.
Filed in america District Court docket of Missouri, the lawsuit lists Carlsen, Play Magnus—the net platform based by Carlsen—, on-line platform Chess.com, its Chief Chess Officer Danny Rensch and common streamer Hikaru Nakamura as defendants. Accusing them of slander, libel, illegal group boycott below the Sherman Act, tortious interference with contract and enterprise expectations and civil conspiracy, Niemann has sought damages of at least $100 million.
“He brings this motion to get well from the devastating damages that Defendants have inflicted upon his repute, profession, and life by egregiously defaming him and unlawfully colluding to blacklist him from the career to which he has devoted his life,” learn the 44-page lawsuit, posted on Twitter by Niemann with the phrases, “My lawsuit speaks for itself”.
The controversy that has created ripples via the chess world blew up after Carlsen resigned after only one transfer towards the 19-year-old within the Julius Baer Technology Cup, a web-based match, in September and later publicly accused Niemann of getting “cheated extra—and extra lately—than he has publicly admitted”. Earlier that month, Carlsen misplaced to Niemann within the Sinquefield Cup, an over-the-board occasion, after which withdrew from the match.
Niemann has acknowledged to having cheated beforehand on two events, on the age of 12 and 16. He, nevertheless, has maintained that he didn’t achieve this within the match towards Carlsen. His lawsuit reiterated “there isn’t any proof that Niemann cheated in any of his video games towards Carlsen, together with on the Sinquefield Cup, significantly given the greater than ample anti-cheating safety measures used on the occasion.”
FIDE, the worldwide chess federation, stated final month it will launch an investigation into Carlsen’s claims. Chess.com, in the meantime, determined to ban Niemann and in a report launched earlier this month, acknowledged he has “possible cheated greater than 100 occasions in on-line video games”; though it didn’t discover “clear proof that Niemann cheated over the board”.
Within the lawsuit, Niemann stated Chess.com, in collusion with Carlsen and Play Magnus, “instantly banned Niemann from its web site and all of its future occasions, to lend credence to Carlsen’s unsubstantiated and defamatory accusations”. He additionally accused Nakamura, the platform’s most influential streaming associate, of publishing “hours of video content material amplifying and making an attempt to bolster Carlsen’s false dishonest allegations towards Niemann with quite a few extra defamatory statements”.
The lawsuit has outlined how Niemann has been blacklisted by the chess neighborhood submit the allegations, resulting in the teenager’s invites to play in numerous tournaments being revoked. “… illegal collusion has, by design, destroyed Niemann’s outstanding profession in its prime and ruined his life,” the lawsuit learn.
The lawsuit additionally personally assaults Carlsen, stating the Norwegian is “infamous for his lack of ability to deal with defeat”, including that he was “fearful that the younger prodigy would additional blemish his multi-million greenback model by beating him once more”. “Carlsen, having solidified his place because the “King of Chess,” believes that with regards to chess, he can do no matter he needs and get away with it,” it additional learn.
In response to Reuters, legal professionals for Chess.com have denied any benefit in Niemann’s cost. “Hans confessed publicly to dishonest on-line within the wake of the Sinquefield Cup, and the ensuing fallout is of his personal making,” the legal professionals’ assertion learn. “Chess.com appears to be like ahead to setting the report straight on behalf of its group and all trustworthy chess gamers.”