American Grandmaster Hans Niemann has responded to critics who accused him of “hate-watching” Magnus Carlsen’s shocking elimination at the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.“If you think I was hate watching yesterday, what would you call what I’ve experienced the past three years?” Niemann posted on X, referring to the controversy that has shadowed his career since 2022.The opening day in Las Vegas delivered a bombshell: world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, co-founder of the Freestyle Chess format and leader in overall standings, failed to make it past the group stage. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Carlsen finished fifth in the White Group with just four points after three defeats, including losses to India’s R Praggnanandhaa and American GM Levon Aronian, who beat him in the fourth-spot tie-breaker.ALSO READ: Despite being told ‘Can’t invite you to Las Vegas’, Hans Niemann turns up, awaits Magnus Carlsen in ‘Battle of Baddies’This format, unlike previous legs, features 16 players split into two groups, with the top four advancing to the knockout rounds. Carlsen’s early exit, especially after dominating in Paris and Karlsruhe, where he scored a perfect 9/9, was nothing short of shocking.
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Do you believe Hans Niemann was genuinely ‘hate-watching’ Magnus Carlsen’s elimination?
Niemann, competing in the Black Group alongside Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and Arjun Erigaisi, didn’t hide his emotions while commentating on Carlsen’s decider against Aronian. “There are very few pleasures in life that compare to this feeling,” he remarked after Aronian took the lead in Game 1 of the tie-break.The reaction isn’t surprising given Niemann’s turbulent history with Carlsen. The two have been embroiled in a bitter feud since the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, when Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating. Niemann later filed a $100 million lawsuit against Carlsen and others, which was ultimately dismissed after an out-of-court settlement.
