Hans Niemann declares he would become a “stone cold killer” in a Netflix documentary released on Tuesday about his feud with five-time classical world champion Magnus Carlsen, a pledge that injects new edge into the lingering fallout from the cheating scandal that shook elite chess.
“I’m gonna be a stone cold killer the rest of my life,” the US’ Niemann says in the film. “I’m going to become the best player in the world, and no one is going to believe that now, but this clip will play over and over again in 10 years — just wait.”
“I just cannot wait for Magnus, when he’s old and disheveled, and going further deep into his insanity, and I’m going to be young, and improving, and he’s gonna have to watch it,” he says.
Photo: AFP
The documentary revisits the 2022 controversy that erupted when Norwegian Carlsen withdrew from a game against Niemann at the Sinquefield Cup and said he believed his opponent had cheated.
Niemann, who has admitted to cheating in online games when younger, but denies wrongdoing in over-the-board play, was never found guilty of cheating in classical competition. He later filed a US$100 million lawsuit against Carlsen and others which was dismissed before all parties reached a settlement.
The film, Untold: Chess Mates, leans heavily on archive footage and previously reported material while focusing on the personalities at the center of the dispute.
“Every conversation I have about chess leads to anal beads,” Niemann says in the documentary, referencing an online conspiracy theory claiming he cheated by using anal beads. It went viral during the scandal despite a lack of evidence.
The documentary charts Niemann’s rise from online player to elite competitor during the COVID-19 era boom in chess, when platforms such as Chess.com saw user numbers surge and streaming helped propel new figures into prominence.
It also explores Niemann’s claim of a coordinated effort against him involving Carlsen and senior figures at Chess.com — an allegation rejected by those involved. The platform said it had found evidence of online cheating by Niemann, but no proof of over-the-board misconduct in his game against Carlsen.
Carlsen, who remains skeptical of Niemann’s victory, adopts a more restrained tone in the film.
“I’m not motivated by it, but if that’s going to inspire him to be the best version of himself, he should go for it — as long as he plays fair,” he says.
Although he has barely been playing over-the-board classical chess in the past few months, Carlsen remains the undisputed world No. 1 while Niemann has risen into the top 20.
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