Chess World Champion Magnus Carlsen and the game’s renowned platform Chess.com have asked a US Federal Court to dismiss the lawsuit filed against the two by American Grandmaster Hans Niemann.
Niemann had earlier filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Magnus and the platform after being accused of cheating during his matches.
The defendants, Daniel Rensch, Chess.com’s executive, and Carlsen said in their filings that Niemann had “admitted” to cheating while also failing to identify any defamatory statements by them in his lawsuit in US District Court in Missouri.
“After years of trying to curate a reputation as the bad boy of chess, plaintiff Hans Niemann wants to cash in by blaming others for the fallout from his own admitted misconduct,” Carlsen’s filing said.
Niemann has accused Carlsen and Chess.com of attempting to “blacklist” him from professional chess and that he has been shunned by tournament organizers ever since five-time world champion Carlsen accused him of cheating at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, Missouri in September.
After surprisingly losing to the 19-year-old during the tournament Carlsen abruptly decided to withdraw from the competition to give internet fodder for suspected cheating claims.
Magnus Carlsen then formally accused Niemann of cheating which resulted in a lawsuit being filed against him.
Chess.com also banned Niemann after the first match against Carlsen and later published a report stating Niemann had likely cheated more than 100 times in online games which brought them into the litigious fold as well.
The American has admitted to cheating in online chess matches but has denied ever doing so in tournaments involving prize money or over-the-board games.
