UNITED STATES NEWS

Federal judge throws out lawsuit filed by chess star over cheating allegations

Jun 29, 2023, 3:01 PM

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a 19-year-old chess grandmaster who alleged his career was ruined by allegations that he had cheated.

Last year, Hans Niemann sued former world champion Magnus Carlsen and the online chess organization Chess.com. He was seeking $100 million in damages for slander and libel.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in St. Louis, Niemann also accused Carlsen and Chess.com of violating antitrust laws by merging online playing platforms and refusing to let him play on them.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig found Niemann’s antitrust claims had no merit. She also dismissed libel and slander claims because she said she didn’t have jurisdiction to oversee them, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The lawsuit came after Niemann shocked the chess world by defeating Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup last year in St. Louis, ending Carlsen’s world-record unbeaten streak. Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating and withdrew from the tournament.

Niemann said that after the cheating allegations were made, tournaments banned him, matches were canceled, and reputable chess schools wouldn’t hire him.

The lawsuit contends Carlsen. generally considered one of the greatest chess champions in the world, was trying to preserve his status as the “King of Chess” and to complete a deal with Chess.com to acquire Play Magnus for nearly $83 million.

Carlsen’s attorney, Craig Reiser, said Niemann’s lawsuit was an “attempt to recover an undeserved windfall” and “chill speech through strategic litigation.”

Chess.com was happy the controversy, which stunned the chess world, was ending and “are grateful that all parties can now focus on growing the game of chess,” said Nima Mohebbi and Jamie Wine, of the firm Latham & Watkins.

Niemann’s attorneys said they plan to pursue the libel and slander claims in state court.

United States News

The Iron Gate Dam is seen in Hornbrook, Calif., Sept. 17, 2023. The dam is one of a series of four ...

Associated Press

Things to know about the Klamath River dam removal project, the largest in US history

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border. The project will remove four dams on the Klamath River. Work has already begun on removing the smallest of the four dams. The other three will come down next year. The project is part of a […]

1 hour ago

FILE -Oakland County Judge Kwame Rowe looks towards witness during cross examination, July 27, 2023...

Associated Press

Michigan judge to decide whether Oxford High School shooter gets life in prison or chance at parole

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A teenager who killed four students at Michigan’s Oxford High School will learn Friday whether he will spend his life in prison or get a chance for parole in the decades ahead. Judge Kwame Rowe will announce his decision over video conference, weeks after hearing from experts who clashed over Ethan […]

4 hours ago

FILE - From left, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa...

Associated Press

The far right has been feuding with McCarthy for weeks. Here’s how it’s spiraling into a shutdown.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With little time left to prevent a government shutdown, the House is in a familiar position: effectively paralyzed as conservatives feud with Speaker Kevin McCarthy over matters large and small. McCarthy has pushed the Republican conference to embrace a short-term funding plan that would also include a sweeping Republican proposal for the […]

4 hours ago

Associated Press

186.000 migrants and refugees arrived in southern Europe so far this year, most in Italy, UN says

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. refugee agency said Thursday that some 186,000 migrants and refugees arrived in southern Europe so far this year, the vast majority in Italy. Between January and Sept. 24, over 2,500 people seeking to cross the Mediterranean were found dead or are still missing, a significant increase from the 1,680 […]

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Hawaii authorities search for man with handgun he gets into scuffle on Army base and flees

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii authorities were looking for a man who fled with a handgun after getting into a scuffle while trying to talk to soldiers at an Army base, officials said. No shots were fired but the Army treated it as an “active shooter situation” and two military bases on Oahu went into lockdown […]

6 hours ago

FILE - Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the chamber at the Capitol in Washingt...

Associated Press

McCarthy rejects Senate spending bill while scrambling for a House plan that averts a shutdown

A government shutdown appeared all but inevitable as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dug in Thursday.

6 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Sanderson Ford...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford congratulates D-backs’ on drive to great first half of 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a red-hot first half of the major league season, and Sanderson Ford wants to send its congratulations to the ballclub.

...

Ability360

At Ability360, every day is Independence Day

With 100 different programs and services, more than 1,500 non-medically based home care staff, a world-renowned Sports & Fitness Center and over 15,000 people with disabilities served annually, across all ages and demographics, Ability360 is a nationwide leader in the disability community.

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

Federal judge throws out lawsuit filed by chess star over cheating allegations