The 19-year-old chess grandmaster Hans Niemann was able to settle the controversy with the World Champion Magnus Carlsen as well as with the influential website Chess.com, which arose from sensational allegations of cheating against Niemann. He was accused of having outside help in his games using vibrating anal sextoys. The scandal shook the chess world last fall. Now, however, a settlement has been reached.
The spectacular saga began when Carlsen suggested Niemann had cheated when he won against him. Shortly thereafter, rumors surfaced that Niemann had received vibrating signals from an accomplice regarding favorable moves via vibrating anal beads.
After an investigation, the leading game site Chess.com banned Niemann and excluded him from tournaments. The organization suspected that the rising star player had probably cheated in more than 100 online games. Niemann vehemently denied these allegations, however, and filed a $100 million defamation suit against those who publicly accused him of cheating.
After months of speculation, Niemann and the defendants agreed to a settlement. Chess.com stated Niemann was »welcome to play in future events,« and his account was restored.
Niemann also stated that he looked forward to facing Carlsen again at the chessboard rather than in courtrooms in the future. For his part, Carlsen said there was no definitive proof that Niemann had cheated in face-to-face matches.
While the theory of smart sex toys aiding cheating provided material for comedy, the cheating allegations were serious business in competitive chess. In the meantime, the scandal inspired adult toy manufacturer Kiiroo to design a collection of vibrating, chess piece-shaped butt plugs as a nod to the infamous allegations. The settlement now found vindicates Niemann and should give his career new momentum. Thus ends this curious chapter in chess history.