Untold: Chess Mates review – inside the anal beads rumours that rocked a sport
Why it matters: The scandal led to a $100 million lawsuit and settlement between Hans Niemann, Magnus Carlsen, and Chess.com.
- Hans Niemann claims every conversation he has now leads to "anal beads" due to the 2022 cheating allegations against him, which he denies for over-the-board play.
- Magnus Carlsen remains incredulous that Niemann could have beaten him without cheating, dismissing Niemann's talent as merely "trying to cosplay as a top chess player."
- Niemann filed a $100m lawsuit against Carlsen and Chess.com, alleging a conspiracy to bring him down prior to a merger between Chess.com and Carlsen’s gaming websites, though the suit was dismissed and later settled.
- Chess.com co-founder Erik Allebest and chief chess officer Danny Rensch are featured, with Chess.com stating its active user count rocketed from 1 million to 5-6 million daily during the pandemic, partly due to Netflix's "The Queen's Gambit."
- Chess.com bosses found no evidence that Niemann's admitted online cheating from his youth extended to real-world, over-the-board play, despite Carlsen's persistent accusations regarding their 2022 match.
The Netflix documentary "Untold: Chess Mates" delves into the infamous 2022 "anal beads" cheating scandal that rocked the chess world, focusing on the bitter rivalry between prodigy Hans Niemann and world champion Magnus Carlsen. While Niemann was never found guilty of over-the-board cheating and later sued Carlsen and Chess.com for an alleged conspiracy to ruin his career, Carlsen maintains Niemann cheated in their match, though Chess.com found no evidence of real-world deceit.
