Chess Champion Accused of Cheating with Sex Toys Files Defamation Suit

American chess champion Hans Niemann has filed a defamation suit of $100 million over claims that he cheated in a recent competition.

The chess world became the center of global attention this past September the low-rated 19-year-old Niemann beat Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen of Norway in an upset matchup at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri. As Breitbart News reported at the time, rumors and theories immediately began circulating across the internet that Niemann somehow cheated through the use of an anal device that fed him advanced chess moves via vibration. The theory became so popular that even billionaire Elon Musk appeared to believe it:

As soon as he won, Niemann — who was one of the lowest-rated players in the tournament — was accused of cheating and faced the unlikely claim that he was using an electronic chess move generator hidden somewhere on his person that was wirelessly linked to an anal massage device secreted just where such a device is designed to be placed. Accusers claimed that the anal device would buzz in some sequence to tell Niemann what moves to make, though the player’s detractors did not exactly reveal just how that could work.

The anal bead accusation caught the eye of entrepreneur Elon Musk who jumped to Twitter to joke, “Talent hits a target no one else can hit, genius hits a target no one can see (cause it’s in ur butt).” Musk later deleted the tweet.

Regardless of the theory’s merit, orchestrators of the U.S. Chess Championships apparently took it seriously enough that Niemann had his butt scanned ahead of a tournament in October.

The lawsuit Neimann filed claims that Magnus Carlsen lied by claiming his opponent did not play fairly, alleging he “maliciously” tried to ruin Niemann’s reputation.

“Enraged that the young Niemann, fully 12 years his junior, dared to disrespect the ‘King of Chess,’ and fearful that the young prodigy would further blemish his multi-million dollar brand by beating him again, Carlsen viciously and maliciously retaliated against Niemann,” the lawsuit claims.

“[The] defamation and unlawful collusion has, by design, destroyed Niemann’s remarkable career in its prime and ruined his life,” it adds.

The lawsuit further claimed that Carlsen spread “false accusations” against Niemann on Twitter shortly after the match.

“Carlsen’s tweet — a video of a soccer manager, saying ‘If I speak, I am in big trouble’ — only hinted at his opponent cheating, but led Chess.com to revoke Niemann’s invitation to its renowned Global Championship, according to the lawsuit, which also names Chess.com as a defendant,” noted the New York Post.

The two later met at a rematch on September 19, but Carlsen resigned from the match after just one move, which further led to speculation that Niemann had cheated. On September 26, Carlsen publicly accused his opponent of cheating by claiming that he “has cheated more — and more recently — than he has publicly admitted.”