Hans Moke Niemann is a young American chess prodigy who has achieved significant success in the chess world. He became a Grandmaster in 2021 and has consistently ranked among the top junior players globally. Notably, he won the World Open chess tournament in 2021 and reached his highest global ranking of 31st in 2023. Beyond his chess skills, he is also known for streaming on Twitch.
June 20, 2003: Birth of Hans Niemann
Hans Moke Niemann was born on June 20, 2003.
2006: Toiletgate Incident at World Chess Championship
The 2006 World Chess Championship was marked by a significant controversy known as the "Toiletgate" incident. While unrelated to Niemann, this event is referenced in the context of highlighting the severity of the cheating allegations surrounding Niemann, which were deemed the most serious since the 2006 incident.
December 2012: Niemann Competes in His First Rated US Chess Tournament
Hans Niemann participated in his first rated US Chess Tournament in December 2012.
2013: Niemann Participates in the 2013 SuperNationals V
In 2013, Hans Niemann, with a rating of 1486, participated in the 2013 SuperNationals V chess tournament in Nashville, scoring 4/7 in his section.
December 16, 2014: Niemann Becomes Youngest Ever Winner of Mechanics' Institute Chess Club Tuesday Night Marathon
On December 16, 2014, Hans Niemann became the youngest-ever winner of the Tuesday Night Marathon at the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club, earning him the title of USCF Master.
2016: Niemann Joins US Chess Federation's All-America Chess Team, Earns First IM Norm
In 2016, Hans Niemann joined the US Chess Federation's All-America Chess Team, earned his first IM norm at the North American Youth Championship, and competed in the Saint Louis Invitational IM Norm.
2017: Niemann Wins SuperNationals VI
Hans Niemann, as the top seed with a 2412 rating, won the K-8 category of the 2017 SuperNationals VI chess tournament.
August 2018: Niemann Earns First GM Norm, Achieves International Master Title
In August 2018, Hans Niemann earned his second IM norm and his first GM norm at the US Masters Championship. He achieved his third IM norm at the Cambridge IM Norm Invitational, fulfilling the requirements for the International Master title.
December 2018: Niemann Wins National K-12 Blitz Championships, Ties for First in Bughouse Duo Competition
In December 2018, Hans Niemann won the National K-12 Blitz Chess Championships undefeated. He also tied for first place in the bughouse duo competition and tied for first in his grade at the K-12 Grade Championships.
2018: Streaming Beginnings
Niemann's venture into the world of streaming began in the summer of 2018, marking his initial foray into content creation.
March 1, 2019: Niemann Enters Top 100 Junior Chess Players List
Hans Niemann first entered the Top 100 Junior chess players list at position 88 on March 1, 2019.
June 2019: Niemann Wins Inaugural ChessKid Games, Qualifies for 2020 Junior Speed Chess Championship
Hans Niemann won the first ChessKid Games hosted by Chess.com in June 2019, securing 20 consecutive victories and qualifying for the 2020 Junior Speed Chess Championship.
November 2019: Niemann Ties for First Place at Edward Lasker Memorial, Earns Second GM Norm
In November 2019, Hans Niemann tied for first place at the 103rd Edward Lasker Memorial chess tournament and achieved his second GM norm.
2019: Regular Streaming and Growing Viewership
Niemann adopted a more consistent streaming schedule in the spring of 2019, coinciding with a period of growth for the chess category on Twitch, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 2020: Niemann Achieves Final GM Norm, Wins Charlotte Chess Center Tournament
In October 2020, Hans Niemann secured his third and final GM norm at the Charlotte Chess Center & Scholastic Academy (CCCSA) GM Norm Invitational, where he placed first.
December 2020: Niemann Wins Blitz Competition at Sunway Sitges, Surpasses 2500 Elo
Hans Niemann won the blitz competition at the VII Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival in December 2020 and surpassed the 2500 Elo threshold required to become a grandmaster.
2020: Allegations of Cheating in Online Games
Chess.com's report in October 2022 alleged that Niemann had potentially cheated in online games as recently as 2020, when he was 17 years old.
2020: PRO Chess League Participation with Norway Gnomes
Niemann continued his participation in the PRO Chess League in 2020, this time representing the Norway Gnomes.
January 2021: Niemann Places Third at Vergani Cup
Hans Niemann placed third at the Vergani Cup chess tournament held in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, in January 2021.
January 22, 2021: Niemann Becomes a FIDE Grandmaster
On January 22, 2021, Hans Niemann earned the title of FIDE Grandmaster.
July 2021: Niemann Wins World Open Chess Tournament
In July 2021, Hans Niemann won the World Open chess tournament in Philadelphia.
March 2022: Niemann Breaks into Chess Top 100, Defeats Carlsen in FTX Crypto Cup
Hans Niemann entered the chess top 100 for classical time control in March 2022, ranking as the 12th-ranked American. He also defeated Magnus Carlsen in the FTX Crypto Cup.
September 2022: Niemann Embroiled in Cheating Controversy After Defeating Carlsen
In September 2022, Hans Niemann was involved in a cheating controversy after defeating world champion Magnus Carlsen in the Sinquefield Cup. Carlsen withdrew from the tournament, accusing Niemann of cheating, and Chess.com banned Niemann from its site. Niemann admitted to cheating in online games when younger but denied cheating in person.
September 26, 2022: Carlsen's Public Accusation of Cheating
Magnus Carlsen publicly accused Hans Niemann of cheating in a statement released on Twitter on September 26, 2022. Carlsen expressed his belief that Niemann had cheated more frequently and recently than he admitted and stated his refusal to play against him in the future. This accusation significantly escalated the controversy surrounding Niemann.
October 2022: Chess.com Cheating Allegations
In October 2022, Chess.com published a report alleging that Hans Niemann had "likely cheated" in over 100 online games, including some as recent as 2020. This report, based on their internal analysis, added another layer of complexity to the ongoing controversy.
October 20, 2022: Niemann's Defamation Lawsuit
On October 20, 2022, Niemann filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen, Chess.com, Play Magnus Group, and Hikaru Nakamura. The lawsuit, filed in the District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, centered around the claims of cheating made against Niemann.
December 7, 2022: Motions to Dismiss Niemann's Lawsuit
By December 7, 2022, all defendants named in Niemann's lawsuit, except for Play Magnus Group, had filed motions seeking to dismiss the case. The grounds for dismissal varied and included arguments related to jurisdiction and anti-SLAPP laws in Connecticut.
December 2022: Niemann Places Second at Chessable Sunway Sitges Open, Consolidates 2700 Rating
Hans Niemann finished second at the Chessable Sunway Sitges Open in December 2022 after winning a tiebreak. This tournament solidified his rating as a 2700 player on the official FIDE rating list.
2022: Niemann Defeats Carlsen Again, Leading to Further Controversy
In 2022, at the Sinquefield Cup, Hans Niemann defeated Magnus Carlsen again, sparking further controversy. Two weeks later, at the Julius Baer Generation Cup, Carlsen resigned after one move against Niemann, further fueling the controversy.
2022: Sinquefield Cup Victory and Carlsen's Withdrawal
In a significant turn of events at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, Niemann defeated then-world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, marking the first time Niemann's live rating surpassed 2700. However, Carlsen's subsequent withdrawal from the tournament, hinted at through a cryptic tweet, sparked controversy. While Carlsen did not explicitly accuse Niemann of cheating, his actions, along with heightened security measures, fueled speculation. Niemann denied any wrongdoing.
April 2023: Chess Tournaments in Menorca and Kazakhstan
In April 2023, Hans Niemann participated in two chess tournaments. He secured 6th position out of 200 participants at the Open Chess Menorca, where the top 10 players, including Niemann, tied for seventh place. In the same month, he also competed in the Kazakhstan Chess Cup, a side event of the World Chess Championship 2023, finishing 6th out of 167 players.
May 2023: Niemann Achieves Peak Global Chess Ranking
In May 2023, Hans Niemann achieved his highest global chess ranking at No. 31.
June 27, 2023: Defamation Lawsuit Against Carlsen, Chess.com, and Hikaru Nakamura Dismissed
On June 27, 2023, a federal judge dismissed the defamation lawsuit filed by Hans Niemann against Magnus Carlsen, Chess.com, and Hikaru Nakamura.
August 28, 2023: Niemann, Carlsen, and Chess.com Reach Agreement, Niemann Reinstated
On August 28, 2023, Hans Niemann, Magnus Carlsen, and Chess.com reached an agreement resolving the cheating controversy. Niemann was fully reinstated on Chess.com and allowed to participate in their events. Carlsen agreed to play him when matched up, and all parties agreed not to pursue further legal action.
September 2023: Niemann Ranked Eighth Highest Junior Chess Player Globally
As of September 2023, Hans Niemann was ranked as the eighth-highest-rated Junior chess player in the world.
2023: Chess Tournament Victories and Settlement
Hans Niemann won the 1000GM 2023 Las Vegas Super Swiss in June 2023, and the Uralsk Open 2023 in Kazakhstan in July. August 2023 marked a significant development when Niemann reached a settlement with Chess.com, allowing him to resume playing on their platform. Following the settlement, he won the Timșoara Grand Prix Rapid and placed second in the Arad Grand Prix Classic.
2023: US Championships and World Rapid & Blitz Championships
During October 2023, Niemann participated in the US Championships at SLCC, finishing 7th. He also competed in the 2023 World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships, securing 26th position in Rapid and 39th position in Blitz.
2023: Tata Steel Chess Tournament
Between January 13th and 28th, 2023, Niemann participated in the B section of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. Despite a strong start with wins against GM Liam Vrolijk and IM Divya Deshmukh, he faced setbacks with losses against IM Eline Roebers and GM Marc Andria Maurizzi, ultimately finishing 7th.
February 2, 2024: Saint Louis Chess Club Announcement and Djerba Chess Masters
On February 2, 2024, the Saint Louis Chess Club announced their decision not to invite Niemann to any of their invitational events in 2024. This decision was reportedly influenced by Niemann's behavior and comments, later revealed to involve damage to his hotel room during the 2023 US Championships. Niemann confirmed the incident but claimed he had apologized and expected reinstatement by the hotel. In February, Niemann also participated in the Djerba Chess Masters, finishing second after a tiebreak with Daniel Dardha.