US grandmaster Hans Niemann, who was accused of cheating by reigning numero uno Magnus Carlsen, once again denied having used a vibrating sex toy to clinch victory. 20-year-old Hans Niemann, who had filed a lawsuit against Carlsen following the row, said the experience was "disheartening."
The controversy erupted after Niemann defeated the Norwegian grandmaster at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, Missouri. According to a report by the BBC, it was alleged that Niemann used signals from someone through the remote-controlled sex toy to win the contest. Later, an online platform called Chess.com came up with an investigative report affirming that he had "likely" cheated in more than 100 games online. Chess.com was also sued by the US grandmaster, the report added.
Niemann denied having cheated to beat Carlsen while taking part in 'Piers Morgan Uncensored'. When asked, "To be clear, on the specific allegation - have you ever used anal beads while playing chess?" his response was reported as follows: "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."
"It is very disheartening to be accused of cheating after that victory.
"These things happen and I managed to learn a lot during that time and it really has taught me a lot of very important lessons about life and chess," Hans Niemann reportedly added.
In August, Carlsen and Niemann settled the $100 million lawsuit.
