American chess grandmaster Hans Niemann denied on Monday, in an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, that he had used an anal vibrator to cheat in a chess tournament.
The statements he made, accompanied by his lawyer, are the latest in a saga that dates back to September 2022, when Niemann faced world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway in a top-notch tournament.
Niemann, who was 19 at the time and the lowest ranked in the tournament, sat across 31-year-old Carlsen in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup in Missouri, the BBC reported.
Niemann won in surprise fashion, but his opponent later accused him, in a statement, of cheating.
Hans Niemann in the ninth round of the Sinquefield Cup.Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour
From that moment on, the scandal of an alleged foul play escalated into defamation lawsuits and chess made headlines in the world of sports, especially after a Reddit post speculated about the use of an anal vibrator to cheat, according to a CBS Sports account of the events.
In his interview Monday with Morgan about the scrutiny he has faced over the past year, Niemann said "it has been very disheartening" to be accused of cheating following his victory against Magnus.
The British presenter pressed the young player on claims that he was receiving signals from someone through a remote-controlled sex toy.
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"To be clear, as far as the specific allegation," Morgan said, "have you ever used vibrators while playing chess?"
Niemann, now 20, told Morgan that "his curiosity is a little troubling," but that he can say, "categorically, no, of course not."
Hans Niemann in the second round of the Sinquefield.@GrandChessTour Cup via Twitter
Following reports that he cheated throughout his career as a chess player by the Chess.com site and chess master Hikaru Nakamura, who is also a streamer, conversations surfaced online about using vibrators hidden in different parts of the body to receive directions from another person who would run key moves with an artificial intelligence program or by computer. according to CBS Sports.
In Niemann's case, no evidence was shown that he cheated through these mechanisms.
In fact, the Sinquefield Cup released a statement saying there was no indication that any players cheated in the tournament.
However, CBS Sports reported that the tournament established additional measures against traps such as radio frequency identification checks of players and a 15-minute delay in the live broadcast.
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During Niemann's interview on Morgan's show, the British presenter commented that the chess player was investigated by the Chess.com site, which also temporarily banned Niemann from the platform and published a report in which they say he "probably cheated more than 100 times in online games."
Morgan also referenced statements Niemann made in the past saying that the only times he cheated in his career using the assistance of a computer was when he was 12 and then at 16, but never in face-to-face games.
In response, Niemann said the Chess.com report is "completely defamatory" and should not be "taken seriously." His lawyer added that no evidence was ever offered that his client cheated.
According to the BBC, Niemann's lawsuits against chess master Carlsen, the site Chess.com and others for defamation were dismissed by a federal judge in Missouri.
