Streamer Andra Botez Reacts to Hans Niemann’s Lawsuit Against Chess Grandmasters and Chess.com
Twitch streamer Andra Botez was surprised when she heard the news about Hans Niemann suing chess Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Chess.com for slander and libel over cheating accusations. During her Oct. 21 stream, she expressed disbelief, saying, “Wait, is he suing? Wow! Wait! He is suing Hikaru too? Damn!”
As an avid chess player and a popular community member, Botez is glad that she never got involved in this drama. However, she couldn’t help but see the lawsuit as a power move. She stated, “I guess Hikaru kind of stirred up a little bit of the insinuations at the beginning, but that is a bold move. I feel like this is honestly just a flex. I feel like even if the lawsuit fails, this is just like a big flex!”
Botez acknowledged that she and her sister Alexandra “dodged a bullet” by staying out of the controversy. Meanwhile, Niemann is seeking over $100 million in damages to restore his reputation and overcome the impact on his career and life caused by the cheating accusations.
The lawsuit was filed in Missouri, where the tournaments in question, the St. Louis Chess Club and the Sinquefield Cup, took place. Chess.com has dismissed the allegations and stated, “There is no merit to Hans’ allegations, and Chess.com looks forward to setting the record straight on behalf of its team and all honest chess players,” through their lawyer.
As of now, Carlsen and Nakamura have not released a statement addressing the matter.