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Hans Niemann vows to become the world’s best, reigniting his feud with Magnus Carlsen as the 2022 ‘anal beads’ cheating scandal continues to cast a long shadow.
Hans Niemann and Magnus Carlsen (FIDE Media)
American GM Hans Niemann isn’t backing down. Not from the spotlight, not from the controversy — and certainly not from his ambitions.
In Netflix’s latest documentary, Untold: Chess Matesreleased this week, Niemann threw the gauntlet down to the chess world.
“I’m gonna be a stone cold killer the rest of my life… I’m going to become the best player in the world,” the American pledged matter-of-factly, adding fresh fire to his long-running feud with World No.1 Magnus Carlsen.
Magnus Carlsen, widely considered the greatest chess players of all time, faces rising star Hans Niemann. After a shocking, controversy-filled win at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup sparks cheating allegations, Niemann fights to clear his name—setting up a high-stakes 2024 rematch.… pic.twitter.com/IiaMKmGuyD— Netflix (@netflix) April 7, 2026
A Rivalry That Still Simmering
The documentary revisits the explosive 2022 controversy that rocked chess.
At the Sinquefield Cup, Carlsen stunned the chess world by withdrawing from a game against Niemann and later suggesting he believed his opponent had cheated.
The fallout was immediate and extremely public, to say the least.
Niemann, who has admitted to cheating in online games earlier in his career, has consistently denied any allegations of cheating in over-the-board competition. And to his credit, no concrete evidence ever came up that proved otherwise.
Still, the damage was done.
One of the most bizarre aspects of the controversy — and its outcome — found its way into the documentary.
“Every conversation I have about chess leads to anal beads,” Niemann remarks, referencing a viral conspiracy theory that circulated widely online.
The American later filed a $100 million lawsuit against Carlsen and others: a case that was eventually dismissed before all parties settled.
Confidence or Confrontation?
The American may have been the laughing stock of chess globally, but he is in no manner fazed by the same.
“I just cannot wait for Magnus… when he’s old and dishevelled… and I’m going to be young and improving,” Niemann said in the documentary, doubling down.
Whether Niemann’s bold prediction becomes prophecy or provocation remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the rivalry with Carlsen isn’t fading anytime soon.
(with Reuters inputs)
April 08, 2026, 6:20 PM IST
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