news’s chess expert Torstein Bae thinks so after the American law firm Oved & Oved LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of Hans Niemann against Magnus Carlsen on Thursday evening. Niemann is demanding over one billion in the lawsuit, where he has also sued Hikaru Nakamura, chess.com and their boss Danny Rensch and Carlsen’s company Play Magnus Group. Bae, who is also a qualified lawyer, believes that Niemann has initiated a long and complicated process. – We see a case that could potentially last for years, says Bae. – The way the rules work in the USA, it is difficult to win a lawsuit. It is not enough that Niemann is able to show that these allegations are false, he must also be able to show that Magnus knew they were false when he presented them, he says. – Providing evidence of the truth is at the heart of defamation lawsuits, says Trond Solvang, law professor at the University of Oslo. CASE: Magnus Carlsen believes that Hans Niemann has cheated more than he admits. Can he prove it in a courtroom? Photo: ARUN SANKAR / AFP “Fantasisum” Carlsen has always been careful not to make too strong a statement on the matter. Bae believes the chess star has already received legal assistance in how he should word himself in the event of a possible lawsuit. The chess drama started with a cryptic Twitter message after Carlsen lost to Niemann and withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri. A few weeks later, he published an article with allegations about Niemann’s history of cheating. This is the cheating case: 4 September: Carlsen loses to Niemann in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup in American St. Louis. 5 September: Carlsen announces on Twitter that he is withdrawing from the Sinquefield Cup. In the message, he attaches a video in which football manager José Mourinho says in an interview: “If I say something, I’m in trouble.” It was interpreted as Carlsen implying that Niemann had cheated. September 9: Niemann is banned from Chess.com. Niemann denies that he used illegal means against Carlsen, but admits that he cheated on the website when he was 12 and 16 years old. 10 September: The head judge in the Sinquefield Cup chess tournament says that nothing has been uncovered that could indicate that cheating has taken place during this year’s tournament. 19 September: Carlsen gives up after two moves against Niemann in this year’s seventh Champions Chess Tour tournament. September 21st. Carlsen speaks out for the first time about the chess row. He will neither confirm nor deny the cheating rumours. In the interview, he also sends a jab at Niemann’s mentor, Maxim Dlugy. 23 September: Chess player Jan Nepomnjashchij states in a podcast that he warned Niemann before the Sinquefield Cup, the tournament Carlsen withdrew from. 23 September: The International Chess Federation (FIDE) criticizes Carlsen’s behavior in recent weeks. 25 September: Carlsen announces that he will make a statement about Niemann after this year’s seventh Champions Chess Tour tournament. 26 September: In a written statement, Carlsen accuses Niemann of having cheated more times and more recently than he has admitted. He also writes that he does not want to play against Niemann again. 29 September: Fide establishes an investigation into Carlsen and Niemann. Niemann is being investigated for possible cheating, Carlsen for possible false accusations. October 5: The Wall Street Journal publishes an article that an investigation by Chess.com shows that Niemann “probably cheated” in over 100 chess games. The report alleges that Niemann cheated for the Norwegian chess team “Norway Gnomes” in the Pro Chess League in 2020. October 6: Niemann states after the Chess.com report that his chess “speaks for itself” and implies that he did not cheat. 6 October: Norway’s chess president, Joachim Birger Nilsen, admits to news that he also cheated for “Norway Gnomes” during the Pro Chess League in the 2016/17 season. 7 October: Nilsen resigns as chess president. 11 October: Niemann mentor Maxim Dlugy describes Carlsen’s statements in his first interview as “defamatory accusations”. 13 October: Dlugy announces a lawsuit against Carlsen. 20 October: Niemann sues Carlsen and asks for at least 100 million dollars for tort and injury. The sum corresponds to NOK 1.07 billion at today’s exchange rate. The American is also taking legal action against Daniel Rensch and Hikaru Nakamura as well as the companies Play Magnus Group and Chess.com. Source: NTB The American’s lawyers believe that it is not how Carlsen has expressed himself, but how the statements must be interpreted, which should be decisive in a courtroom. But what can Carlsen be convicted of in American law? – From what I have read, there is a principle that the court may have the right to judge based on where the incident occurred. The lawsuit stems from what happened in Missouri, Bae says. CHESS EXPERT: Torstein Bae. Photo: Erik Johansen / NTB Solvang adds that if someone has lit money in the state, this can lead to the court having jurisdiction over the defendant. The law professor points out that you get a greater financial payout in a compensation case in the USA than in Norway, but calls Niemann’s claim a “fantasy”. – It is based on a number of uncertain premises, for example that Niemann could have been a superb owner, and that now all career opportunities have been wasted. The sum includes what Niemann could potentially earn during a career and any mark-ups. In the USA, for example, you can get compensation for mental stress and it is normally a jury that decides the amount, says Solvang. – Asking Carlsen to show the cards In order for the legal process to start, Carlsen must first be voted in formally. Only it can take several months, according to Bae. At the same time, the lawsuit opens the way for Carlsen to finally be able to speak freely about how he thinks Niemann cheated. – Magnus has said that he has more evidence, but that he cannot present it without Niemann accepting it. In such a legal process, I cannot understand that there should be any more obstacles to it. Now Niemann asks him to show his cards, says Bae. For Carlsen, large sums of money and a hit to his reputation are at stake in the case. For Niemann, his entire career may depend on a victory in court. Carlsen has already made it clear that he does not want to play against Niemann again, which strongly limits which tournaments the 19-year-old can participate in in the future. In the lawsuit, it appears that Niemann has already been denied participation in the major tournament Tata Steel in 2023, and furthermore that the German teenage star Vincent Keymer will not play against him. – Niemann may not have known that he had a choice. He is banned from several major tournaments, both online and over the board. This has major consequences for Niemann, says Bae.
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Do you think the chess feud between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann could last for years – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
