Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann’s rivalry stems from the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, when the Norwegian reportedly accused his American rival of cheating and dropped out of the tournament. What followed was a series of accusations and even a lawsuit that was filed by Niemann against Carlsen. Later, both parties agreed to move forward after the matter was settled in court.
Fast forward to 2026, and once again, the war of words seems to have erupted between the two before the release of Netflix’s Untold: Chess Mates, with both players offering candid insights into their past encounters. Newly released clips from the documentary that will premiere on April 7 revisit the controversy that rocked the chess world.
In one clip, Carlsen reflects on his own journey and self-belief and says, “I know that I am relatively bright, but I am not a genius. I am not something amazing. I only know that when I sit down at the board, I am better than the other guy,” he said.
He also admitted to moments of doubt and said, “I sometimes feel as though I don’t deserve it. I feel like, at times, it comes easily to me. There are probably people who worked harder, who haven’t reached as far.”
Thereafter, Carlsen also spoke about Niemann and said, “It was at times quite entertaining, because his mood swings would be pretty wild,” he said, adding, “He was pretty decent, but I still won the games quite easily.”
Summing up his view, Carlsen remarked: “He’s a good player who happens to be American and talks a lot.”
Niemann, meanwhile, offered his perspective. “I was just this kid who didn’t view himself as this potential champion, and suddenly here I am playing Magnus, playing the world champion, someone I looked up to for so long,” he said, according to a report by Chessdotcom.
Addressing criticism of his on-board behaviour, the American was unapologetic. “I know a lot of players would talk about it, ‘Why does he do this, do that?’ And they all think it’s so crazy, but in the world of sports, it’s really not that crazy. It’s normal.
“Why do I have to be held to the standard of being so polite and nice? Nice guys, you know, they finish last, as they say. And I am not a nice guy. You can’t be a nice guy and be a champion, unfortunately.”
The documentary also features Hikaru Nakamura, who highlighted Niemann’s personality.
“In the old-school chess establishment, the view is that you have to be very proper. You win, you say, ‘I won the game.’ You lose, you say, ‘The guy played better than me.’”
“But Hans is very wild. When he lost games, he would scream, he’d yell. When he’d win games, he’d be like, ‘I’m the greatest in the world.’”
