Chess Grandmaster Hans Niemann has been officially cleared against claims he cheated in a controversial game.
Cast your mind back to last year and you might remember a 19-year-old Niemann beating five-time World Champion player Magnus Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup championship.
Despite Carlsen being the stronger player and Niemann being the lowest ranking of the competitors, the teen took his opponent out in the third round.
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Carlsen withdrew from the championship shortly after.
It was a jaw-dropping moment in the chess world and it wasn't long before Niemann was accused of cheating.
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It's difficult to imagine how you can cheat in a game of chess, however there was a theory that he used anal beads.
Canadian grandmasters Eric Hansen and Aman Hambleton speculated in a Twitch stream whether he'd hidden a vibrating version of the sex toy in his shoe to offer signals indicating the right moves to make.
Chess.com closed Niemann's account as it conducted an investigation into the allegations.
Well, after nearly a year, it appears Niemann is a free man.
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Chess.com has released a statement, saying: "Shortly after those events, Chess.com privately closed Niemann’s account and published an investigative report about Hans Niemann’s play.
"Since June, both sides have negotiated privately in a good-faith effort to resolve their issues and allow the chess world to move forward without further litigation. We are happy to share that all sides have reached an agreement.
"Chess.com, Magnus, Hans, and Hikaru all have their own opinions about the events surrounding the controversy, and they agree they should each be able to talk openly about their views."
Niemann wrote: “I am pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner, and that I am returning to Chess.com.
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"I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court and am grateful to my attorneys at Oved & Oved for believing in me and helping me resolve the case.”
Carlsen shared a similar sentiment and is looking forward to playing Niemann in the future.
“I acknowledge and understand Chess.com’s report, including its statement that there is no determinative evidence that Niemann cheated in his game against me at the Sinquefield Cup," he said.
Chess.com declared that Hans will be 'allowed to play in any and all events' as a result of the findings and he 'will be treated no differently from any other player'.
Featured Image Credit: TIM VIZER/AFP via Getty Images.
