Chess Grandmaster Cleared of Cheating Allegations After Unfounded Rumors He Used Anal Beads Rocked Sport

Chess grandmasters Hans Niemann and Magnus Carlsen have settled their feud after Niemann was accused of cheating when he beat the champion at a tournament last fall – leading to wild, unfounded speculation Niemann used vibrating anal beads to help himself win.

The dispute also ensnarled Chess.com, who banned Niemann and wrote that he 'likely' cheated in several tournaments. The allegations spurred a $100 million defamation lawsuit from Niemann against the popular site.

In a blog post on Monday, Chess.com said it and Niemann had "resolved their differences and are moving forward."

The announcement comes two months after the antitrust lawsuit Niemann filed against the website and Carlsen was tossed by a federal judge, and nearly a year after Chess.com found Niemann cheated in online games as recently as 2020, though not during in-person matches.

The website said it has "fully reinstated" Niemann after it closed his account last year.

The blog post also included statements from Carlsen and Niemann that said each was open to competing against the other, should they cross paths at a future tournament.

"We are pleased to report that we have reached an agreement with Hans Niemann to put our differences behind us and move forward together without further litigation," Chess.com said in a statement. "At this time, Hans has been fully reinstated to Chess.com, and we look forward to his participation in our events."

Niemann, 20, brought the lawsuit following controversy last September at the Sinquefield Cup, a tournament where he defeated Carlsen in the third-round matchup.

Carlsen then withdrew from the competition, spurring rumors Niemann had cheated.

Unfounded speculation over how Niemann could possibly have pulled off such a scheme crescendoed online, with fellow chess grandmaster Eric Hansen jokingly floating a theory vibrating anal beads could have been used to inform Niemann what moves to make on the chessboard.

Niemann went on to admit in an interview he cheated in "random games" on Chess.com to boost his rating when he first started playing competitively, but denied he ever cheated during in-person games.

Soon after, Carlsen, the 32-year-old former world champion, alleged Niemann cheated even "more – and more recently – than he has publicly admitted."

Chess.com opened an investigation into Niemann in October and concluded he had "likely cheated" in more than 100 games on the website.

The platformed said in its statement Monday it stands by the report, "including that we found no determinative evidence that he has cheated in any in-person games."

In a statement Carlsen said, "I acknowledge and understand Chess.com’s report, including its statement that there is no determinative evidence that Niemann cheated in his game against me at the Sinquefield Cup.

"I am willing to play Niemann in future events, should we be paired together," he added.

Niemann, in his own statement, said he was "pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner."

"I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court," Niemann said.

In a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday, Niemann read the statement, but added he still considers the Chess.com report "defamatory and I challenge their allegations." He did not elaborate.

Niemann also said that no matter "what you do to try to ruin my career or slander my reputation ... these difficult times have only strengthened my resolve and character, and have only invigorated me even more to reach the top of chess."

"There will be a day when I will be the best chess player in the world," he added.

Asked if Chess.com had any response to Niemann's remarks on the report, the platform told The Messenger: "We believe the same as other professional leagues and governing bodies: that everyone deserves a second chance. We always strive to do what is best for chess, and we believe this decision to move forward together is good for the game."

The International Chess Federation, the governing body of the sport, has not commented on the dispute.

The ICF finished its own investigation earlier this year and has said the report will not be released until at least October.