Chess.com Concludes Legal Dispute With Hans Niemann, Niemann To Return To Chess.com
Chess.com and Hans Niemann have resolved their differences and are moving forward.
As many readers will be aware, Chess.com and Niemann, as well as Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, have been engaged in a lawsuit over the past year after Niemann defeated Carlsen in September at the Sinquefield Cup, and Carlsen withdrew from that event. Shortly after those events, Chess.com privately closed Niemann’s account and published an investigative report about Hans Niemann’s play.
Since June, both sides have negotiated privately in a good-faith effort to resolve their issues and allow the chess world to move forward without further litigation. We are happy to share that all sides have reached an agreement.
Chess.com, Magnus, Hans, and Hikaru all have their own opinions about the events surrounding the controversy, and they agree they should each be able to talk openly about their views.
In the meantime, Chess.com, Magnus, and Hans have released the following statements about their agreement:
“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. At this time, Hans has been fully reinstated to Chess.com, and we look forward to his participation in our events. We would also like to reaffirm that we stand by the findings in our October 2022 public report regarding Hans, including that we found no determinative evidence that he has cheated in any in-person games. We all love chess and appreciate all of the passionate fans and community members who allow us to do what we do.” - Chess.com
“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.” - Magnus Carlsen
“I am pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner, and that I am returning to Chess.com. I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court and am grateful to my attorneys at Oved & Oved for believing in me and helping me resolve the case.” - Hans Niemann
As Hans returns to Chess.com, he will be allowed to play in any and all events, and will be treated no differently from any other player. Chess.com always retains the right to open and close accounts based on our judgment, and we take that stewardship seriously. We will continue to protect and grow the game!
