Hans Niemann Accuses Arjun Erigaisi of Chennai GM Snub?

Hans Niemann AKA the Bad Boy of Chess has been under the microscope of everyone since the infamous Carlsen-Niemann cheating controversy transpired during the 2022 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis. Since then, the American prodigy has taken huge strides in his chess and his presence on the internet. During his live stream of Chess.com’s Late Titled Tuesday, Hans allegedly pointed the finger at India No. 1, Arjun Erigaisi and his involvement in the rescission of Hans’ invitation at the 2024 Chennai Grand Masters tournament.

Hans was paired against Arjun in round 10 of the Late Titled Tuesday on February 11, 2025. The American came out on top in the sharp encounter. Following the game, Hans allegedly shed light on Erigaisi’s role in the cancellation of Hans’ invitation to the Chennai Grand Masters. Hans has previously been vocal about the lack of opportunities and called out organizers for rescinding his invitation without adequate justification, Chennai GM 2024 being one of them. Earlier, Hans also called out the organizers of the Vugar Gashimov Memorial tournament for retracting the invitation after some of the invitees protested his participation.

Hans’ alleged accusation evokes some thought, since, it is known that the Indian organization, MGD1 manages Arjun Erigaisi; MGD1 was also a part of the organizing committee of Chennai GM 2024. The tournament was also rumoured to have an understated objective to aid Erigaisi in the FIDE Circuit race.

As of now, the so-called “accusation” remains groundless since there is proof of the Indian’s direct involvement in the organizing committee. However, the clash over the board between these two talented chess players seems inevitable as they climb up the ranks in the near future.

Stay tuned at ChessNinja for updates on such exciting stories brewing in the chess world!

Photo credit: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour