American Grandmaster Hans Niemann has launched another attack on Magnus Carlsen for breaking the rules after agreeing to share the World Blitz title with Ian Nepomniachtchi at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship.
Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann have a painful past: no one in the world has ever accused the American of cheating which led to an expensive lawsuit. The two eventually reached an agreement out of court.
You broke the camera rules, you just thought they would agree to your proposal because you wasted the blitz and made unreasonable demands. I hope FIDE will stand up and remind us all that no player is above the game. They failed to catch you if you…
— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) January 2, 2025
“You broke the camera rules, you just thought they would agree to your proposal because you resigned and made unreasonable demands,” Niemann wrote to X.
“I hope that FIDE will stand up and remind us all that no player is above the game.
“They failed to answer you when you tried to destroy my life, I hope they have learned their lesson.”
Magnus : “If they like trash, we can just play short draws until they stop.”
This is not the same fix, @FIDE_chess? Dubov & Nepo were dispossessed twice last year for pre-arranging the draw, why was the same action not taken this time? pic.twitter.com/WjyteaztLi
– Abhiraj (@mytywarriorking) January 1, 2025
The video showed Magnus Carlsen joking with Ian Nepomniachtchi that if FIDE didn’t agree to let them split the World Blitz title, they could keep “playing short matches until FIDE stops.”
The joke raised the temperature on social media with players like Hans Niemann and Srinath Narayanan and chess legend Susan Polgar calling it inappropriate.
Magnus has made his stance on X clear. He wrote, “I have never planned in advance how I will play in my career. In the video I joke with Ian in a situation that lacks definitive rules of engagement. This was clearly not an attempt to influence FIDE.
I never plan ahead to paint in my work. In the video I joke with Ian in a situation that lacks definitive rules of engagement. This was clearly not an attempt to influence FIDE. It was said in the air that I thought FIDE would agree to our proposal. If there is any…
– Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) January 1, 2025
“It was said in the air that I thought FIDE would agree to our proposal. If anything it was a bad joke given the gravity of the situation.
“I think the game itself showed two players who play great chess, evenly matched and both deserved to win.”
No player is above the game. FIDE’s decision will define the future of chess. I hope they choose the right side of history.
— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) January 2, 2025
FIDE chief Emil Sutovsky criticized Carlsen in a long post.
“FIDE will not be silent either. At least I won’t – and I’m here to stay,” he wrote.
Niemann replied to Sutovsky: “No player is above the game. FIDE’s decision will define the future of chess. I hope they will choose the right side of history.”
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