NEW DELHI: In the late 16th century, France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, moving New Year’s Day from April 1 to January 1. Those who clung to the old date were mocked as “April fools”, while others began playing pranks on them. It soon became a tradition.
Theories on the birth of April Fool’s Day are countless.
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But in Hans Niemann’s world, it comes with a twist.
On April 1, 2025, the 21-year-old American grandmaster posted an art image on his X account, captioned boldly: “COMING SOON TO PARIS.”
Five days later, just before the pre-tournament press conference for the Paris leg of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, Niemann abruptly withdrew, citing “personal reasons”.
His withdrawal brought disappointment, dashing the hopes of countless chess fans eager for a high-octane Magnus Carlsen vs Niemann showdown.
Magnus Carlsen vs Hans Niemann
The tension between the two dates back to September 2022, when Carlsen withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup after losing to Niemann, hinting at cheating without directly accusing him.
Later, Carlsen resigned after a single move in an online rematch and openly accused Niemann of cheating.
While Niemann denied any wrongdoing in over-the-board games, a Chess.com report alleged he had likely cheated in more than 100 online matches.
He was subsequently banned from the platform.
Niemann hit back with a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Carlsen, Chess.com, and current World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura.
Although parts of the suit were dismissed by a federal judge in June 2023, the case was resolved in August when all parties reached a settlement.
Niemann was reinstated on Chess.com and Carlsen agreed to face him if drawn. Legal proceedings were dropped.
FIDE’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission later fined Carlsen 10,000 euros for his Sinquefield Cup withdrawal but found no evidence of Niemann cheating in classical over-the-board play.
More Than an April Fool’s Joke?
Niemann’s wildcard entry into the Paris field had been a major talking point among chess enthusiasts even a few days back.
The World No. 20 secured the spot after winning the 2024 Grenke Chess Open.
While that win initially qualified him for the now-discontinued Grenke Classic, Freestyle Chess co-founder Jan Henric Buettner extended an invitation to Niemann as compensation.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Freestyle Paris edition,” Niemann posted on X. “I am eager to return to the Freestyle/Grenke Open. No matter what opportunities come my way, I will continue to let my chess speak for itself.”
Yet, without any official explanation, Niemann pulled out.
Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 reported that Niemann was informed of heightened anti-cheating protocols being introduced, forcing his withdrawal.
Meanwhile, Buettner, in his statement, chose to fuel the speculation: “Obviously, we are incredibly disappointed to hear about Hans Niemann’s withdrawal, but we are very happy to have found an incredible replacement with Nodirbek Abdusattorov on very short notice. We will not participate in any speculation about the reason for Hans to withdraw.”
He did confirm, however, that Freestyle Chess had implemented unprecedented anti-cheating measures: “It is correct, though, that we have put the most serious anti-cheating measures in place that have ever been applied to any chess tournament in the past.”
A blow to Freestyle Chess?
Speaking exclusively to TimesofIndia.com from Paris, Buettner underlined how pivotal Niemann was to the second leg of the Grand Slam tour.
“Hans is a very important figure for us from a marketing perspective,” he said. “We are a marketing- and show-driven company, doing chess at the highest level. But we also monetise everything around it. So, Hans is a very vital person for us. We were very happy to find a way to integrate him into the tour for qualification.”
TimesofIndia.com can confirm Niemann was due to arrive in Paris on Saturday, April 5. Buettner had planned to meet him and facilitate his integration with the player group ahead of the tournament running April 7–14.
Niemann’s presence could have provided the fans with the marquee clash against Carlsen and Freestyle Chess organisers some extra limelight and media coverage.
But with that off the table, attention now turns to Abdusattorov, who steps in as Niemann’s last-minute replacement.
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