.jpg)
Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann has denied using a vibrating sex toy to cheat against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen.
Last September Niemann went toe-to-toe with Norwegian grandmaster Carlsen in chess' Sinquefield Cup.
Niemann won but was soon accused by Carlsen of cheating - a claim which subsequently sparked a huge legal row between the pair. Last month, almost a year after the allegations were first raised, Niemann and Carlsen settled a $100million (£79million) lawsuit.
Advert
And on Monday evening Niemann spoke to Piers Morgan Uncensored about the scrutiny he has faced since last year’s accusations.
He said: "It is very disheartening to be accused of cheating after that victory. These things happen and I managed to learn a lot during that time and it really has taught me a lot of very important lessons about life and chess."
Niemann added that he believed the last year has "strengthened his resolve" while reiterating he did not cheat.
It has been claimed that during the match against Carlsen, Niemann was getting signals from someone through a remote-controlled sex toy.
Morgan asked: "To be clear, on the specific allegation - have you ever used anal beads while playing chess?”
Advert
Niemann replied: "Well, your curiosity is a bit concerning, you know - maybe you're personally interested, but I can tell you, no. Categorically, no, of course not."
Chess.com was also sued by Niemann after an investigation by the online firm claimed the 20-year-old had "likely" cheated in over 100 games online.
While Niemann admitted he had cheated twice in online matches on Chess.com aged 12 and 16, he claimed he had not done so in the Sinquefield Cup or in any in-person game.
In October 2022 the American filed a defamation lawsuit against Carlsen, Chess.com, and Hikaru Nakamura. The latter is a US grandmaster whom Niemann accused of "amplifying and attempting to bolster Carlsen's false cheating allegations".
Advert
That case was later dismissed, with out-of-court discussions resolving the issue.
Last month, Chess.com stood by its report on Niemann, "including that, we found no determinative evidence that he has cheated in any in-person games".
Meanwhile, Carlsen said he acknowledged and understood the report, "including its statement that there is no determinative evidence" of wrongdoing by Niemann.
SPORTbible are on WhatsApp! We've launched a dedicated news channel to send you the latest news, features and plenty more directly on WhatsApp and all you need to do to sign up is click through to our one-way broadcast channel here for 'SPORTbible News' to appear in the 'Updates' tab on your WhatsApp.
Featured Image Credit: Getty