Carlsen and Niemann reach settlement after allegations of chess cheating – 8/30/2023 – Sport

Norwegian chess player Magnus Carlsen and American Hans Niemann, who had a dispute after the former accused the other of cheating in a tournament, reached an agreement. According to a statement from the chess.com website, they are willing to face each other again.

“Both parties have negotiated in good faith, particularly since June, to resolve their issues and move forward,” the statement said. “We are happy to announce that all parties have reached an agreement.”

The dispute between the two players began on September 5, 2022, when Niemann defeated Carlsen, then five-time world champion, in the Sinquefield Cup, a chess tournament held annually in Saint-Louis, Missouri, United States.

The Norwegian withdrew from the tournament, accusing his opponent of cheating.

The website chess.com, the world’s first online chess platform, considered that the American “probably cheated” at least a hundred times in online games.

Niemann sued his detractors in US court, demanding $100 million (R$521 at the time) in damages, but a federal judge denied the charge in June.

Although he admitted to cheating on chess.com on two occasions, when he was 12 and 16, Niemann, now 20, said he never did it again.

“I accept and understand the chess.com report, including the assertion that there is no conclusive proof that Niemann cheated in his match with me in the Sinquefield Cup,” rival Magnus Carlsen said in the statement.

“I’m willing to play Niemann in the future if we meet,” he added.

Niemann, also quoted in the statement, said he was “looking forward to playing chess rather than facing justice”.

Considered the greatest chess player of the 21st century, Carlsen withdrew from playing in the World Championship from 2023, tired of the competition format and the succession of long games, thus leaving Ding Liren to become the first Chinese world champion in history.