Young American chess player Hans Niemann filed a defamation lawsuit against Norwegian chess star Magnus Carlsen for saying he cheated. .“Niemann is a 19-year-old, self-taught chess prodigy,” said Niemann in a Thursday lawsuit. .“He brings this action to recover from the devastating damages that defendants inflicted upon his reputation, career, and life by egregiously defaming him and unlawfully colluding to blacklist him from the profession to which he has dedicated his life.” .The lawsuit names Carlsen, Chess.com, Play Magnus, Chess.com streaming partner Hikaru Nakamura, and executive Danny Rensch as defendants. .The lawsuit said the defamation started after Niemann defeated Carlsen after the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis on Sept. 4. .READ MORE: Norwegian chessmaster defeat sparks claims of cheating with anal sex toy.Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Niemann might have used anal beads to cheat. Carlsen withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup, saying he hopes to come back in the future. .He included a video of a speech by soccer manager Jose Mourinho, who said if he speaks, he would be "in big trouble, and I don't want to be in big trouble." .Niemann played Carlsen at the Julius Baer Generation Cup. Rather than seek to redeem himself from his unexpected loss, he forfeited the game after making one move. .Carlsen said on Sept. 26 he believed Niemann engaged in cheating not yet uncovered. .READ MORE: Norwegian chessmaster accuses American opponent of more cheating.“I believe Niemann has cheated more and more recently than he publicly admitted,” he said. .“His over the board progress has been unusual, and throughout our game in the Sinquefield Cup, I had the impression he wasn’t tense or even fully concentrating on the game in critical positions, while outplaying me as black in a way I think only a handful of players can do.” .Niemann said due to Carlsen’s unparalleled stature and influence in the chess world, he “knew the public would believe his accusations of cheating against Niemann, even though Carlsen had no legitimate basis to believe Niemann actually cheated against him.” He said his opponent unleashed his media empire to harass him. .The lawsuit alleges Chess.com colluded with Carlsen and Play Magnus to ban him from their websites and future events. It accused Nakamura of colluding with Chess.com and Carlsen by amplifying videos about the cheating allegations. .It said Rensch issued defamatory press releases and leaked defamatory reports to news outlets, accusing Niemann of lying. .The American player said the alleged defamation “destroyed Niemann’s remarkable career in its prime and ruined his life.” He added he can no longer compete in any Chess.com or Play Magnus tournaments or receive invitations to any in-person events sponsored by them. .The lawsuit said the alleged defamation led to the Chess.com Global Championship revoking his invitation to play in its tournament in October. Chess grandmaster Vincent Keymer cancelled his game against him in Germany. .The Tata Steel Chess Tournament ceased its arrangements for Niemann to play in January. He cannot obtain employment as a chess teacher at a reputable school. .“Niemann seeks damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but no less than $100 million,” he said.
