| Hans Niemann | |
|---|---|
 Niemann at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024 | |
| Full name | Hans Moke Niemann |
| Country | United States |
| Born | June 20, 2003 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Title | Grandmaster (2021) |
| FIDE rating | 2734 (November 2024) |
| Peak rating | 2734 (November 2024) |
| Ranking | No. 20 (November 2024) |
| Peak ranking | No. 16 (September 2024) |
Hans Moke Niemann (born June 20, 2003) is an American chess grandmaster and Twitch streamer.[1] He first entered the top 100 junior players list on March 1, 2019, and became a FIDE grandmaster on January 22, 2021.[2][3][4] In July 2021, he won the World Open chess tournament in Philadelphia. He had a peak global ranking of No. 16 in September 2024.[5]
In September 2022, Niemann became embroiled in a controversy after defeating reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the third round of the 2022 Sinquefield Cup.[6] As a result, Carlsen withdrew from the tournament, which many interpreted as an accusation that Niemann had cheated during the match. Later, Carlsen directly accused Niemann of cheating and said that he would decline future pairings with him.[7] In a later interview, Niemann admitted to cheating in online chess games when younger, but denied cheating in over-the-board games.[8]
Niemann was banned from competing on Chess.com, which published a report noting over 100 games on the site in which Niemann had "likely cheated" according to an internal anti-cheating measure. In response, Niemann filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Carlsen, Chess.com, and fellow grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.[9] On June 27, 2023, a federal judge dismissed one of Niemann's claims.[10] On August 28, 2023, Niemann, Carlsen, and Chess.com announced that they had reached an agreement over the matter, in which Niemann was fully reinstated on Chess.com and permitted to participate in future Chess.com events. Carlsen agreed to play him if they matched up, and all parties agreed not to pursue further legal action.[11]
- ^ "Happy 19th birthday to Hans Niemann!". Chessdom. June 20, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ "FIDE Online. FIDE Top players - Standard Top 100 Players Juniors 2019". March 20, 2019. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ "History 2019". www.chessct.org. Connecticut State Chess Association. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ Hartmann, John (January 25, 2021). "Niemann on Earning the GM Title". US Chess.org. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ "Niemann, Hans Moke". ratings.fide.com. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ McGourty, Colin (September 5, 2022). "Sinquefield Cup 3: Niemann beats Carlsen to cross 2700".
- ^ Beaton, Andrew; Robinson, Joshua (September 8, 2022). "Chess Is in Chaos Over Suspicion That a Player Cheated Against Magnus Carlsen". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Ingle, Sean (September 7, 2022). "Top chess player Hans Niemann admits cheating in past but says he is now 'clean'". the Guardian. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ Maishman, Elsa (October 20, 2022). "Chess cheating row: Hans Niemann sues accusers Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com for libel". bbc.com. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "Hans Niemann's $100 Million Lawsuit Over Chess Cheating Allegations Is Dismissed". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ Lutz, Tom (August 28, 2023). "Carlsen and Niemann settle dispute over cheating claims that rocked chess". The Guardian. Retrieved August 28, 2023.