Chess grandmaster denies using anal beads to cheat against world champion: 'categorically no, of course not'

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"It really has taught me a lot of very important lessons about life and chess."

Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann looking pensive.
(Image credit: Tim Vizer via Getty Images)

Last year the chess world was engulfed by scandal after world champion Magnus Carlsen accused his opponent, grandmaster Hans Niemann, of cheating in a game which Niemann won. The allegation was explosive and, as allegations about Niemann's past behaviour came to light, one unverifiable and lurid detail took centre stage: that the player had cheated through the use of vibrating anal beads that, somehow, communicated on-the-board moves to him.

The notion always seemed absurd to me, but chess has a long history of players doing just about anything to gain an advantage, and despite there being no proof it stuck around the story. The scandal itself has now somewhat died down, after the pair and various other parties settled a $100 million lawsuit last month, and so of course now is the time Niemann has chosen to address the supposed device. 

Niemann went on the show Piers Morgan Uncensored to talk about the incident itself and how he'd coped with the subsequent fallout (which risked destroying his career, and will certainly dog him for the rest of it). The player said it was a "disheartening" time and "it really has taught me a lot of very important lessons about life and chess."

"Well, your curiosity is a bit concerning, you know, maybe you're personally interested, but I can tell you no," said Niemann. "Categorically, no, of course not."

Rich Stanton
Rich Stanton
Senior Editor

Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."