While actively participating in the 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament, it seems that Hans Niemann, known for his provocative nature in the chess world, managed to find time to comment on chess-related media matters. He took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the latest clickbait title by Levy “GothamChess” Rozman, a popular chess YouTuber with over 4 million subscribers, which featured a game between Niemann and super-GM Richárd Rapport.
Hans Niemann, often known for his memorable quotes, has once again made a statement. His remark, “The chess speaks for itself,” quickly became a meme, and now he has called out the most prominent chess YouTuber for using his name in the title of a video summarizing the daily events of the Grand Swiss.
In his tweet, Niemann expressed empathy for some International chess masters who have to contend with a constant reminder of their shortcomings. He highlighted how some of them turn to YouTube clickbait because they lack the ability to offer insightful commentary on actual chess games.
Gotham responded promptly, referencing the Lichess analysis of the game, which indicated that there were no inaccuracies, mistakes, or blunders in the game. He pointed out that he was merely building up Hans Niemann and showcasing his games to a broader audience. Gotham emphasized that he had made an effort to remain as impartial as possible over the past year and would continue to present Niemann’s games to the public.
Hans Niemann is no stranger to controversy in the chess community, and Gotham, recognized as the streamer of the year and a master of eye-catching video titles, has also stirred controversies with his highly effective video headlines. This clash about prevalent YouTube practices is not unique to them. Recently, the world’s number one chess player, Magnus Carlsen, criticized Hikaru Nakamura and his team for a video title that implied cheating allegations that were never substantiated.
Carlsen himself ignited a significant chess cheating controversy in the game’s recent history by publicly suggesting that Niemann had cheated during an over-the-board game. While Niemann acknowledged online cheating and chess.com’s statistical analysis suggested more cases than he admitted, no concrete evidence of foul play in offline settings has been established. Niemann’s defamation lawsuit was settled out of court, although legal experts had doubts about the accuracy of his claims.
With six more rounds to go at the Grand Swiss, excluding the current round, there are still ample opportunities for dramatic developments, especially as the Candidates spots come closer to realization. At the time of writing, Niemann is engaged in a closely contested game against Alireza Firouzja at table 3, with both players having made just fourteen moves each after nearly two and a half hours of play.