Chess master denies using sex toy to beat world champion

HANS NIEMANN, a chess grandmaster, has denied using anal beads to win a match against the world’s foremost player.

Niemann, 20, categorically denied allegations he used a vibrating sex toy to receive outside help against Magnus Carlsen during a game that caused a scandal in the chess world.

Carlsen, considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, had accused his American rival of cheating, leading to a legal row that the pair resolved outside of court.

“It is very disheartening to be accused of cheating after that victory,” Niemann told Piers Morgan Uncensored.

When asked about the allegation that he used anal beads to cheat, a rumour that had surfaced online in the wake of his victory, the 20-year-old told the Talktv show: “Well, your curiosity is a bit concerning, you know, maybe you’re personally interested. But I can tell you, no. Categorically, no, of course not.”

In the past, Niemann has said of the claims: “If they want me to strip fully naked, I will do it. I don’t care. Because I know I am clean.

“You want me to play in a closed box with zero electronic transmission, I don’t care. I’m here to win and that is my goal regardless.”

The rising star of chess said the incident taught him a lot of very important life lessons “about life and chess”.

The scandal stemmed from his upset victory over Carlsen, who has been the world’s top-ranked player for more than a decade, at the prestigious Sinquefield Cup tournament in St Louis, Missouri, in September 2022.

Following his defeat, Carlsen, 32, withdrew from the tournament and later claimed Niemann had cheated, which the American denied. Chess.com banned Niemann and later published a report saying he had likely cheated more than 100 times in online games.

The 20-year-old filed a $100million (£82million) defamation lawsuit against Carlsen, Chess.com and US grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura last October after allegations that he had cheated.

A US judge dismissed the lawsuit in June and Chess.com said all parties had agreed to move forward without any further litigation.

Niemann has admitted to cheating online aged 12 and 16, but denies any wrongdoing in over-the-board games.