GM Hans Niemann was asked on a recent episode of Dina Belenkaya’s YouTube podcast whom he considers the most overrated players in the world’s top 20 rating list. Niemann selected the top two spots — Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura — and explained his reasoning.

Hans Moke Niemann

Hans Moke Niemann

American GM

“The top two players. They are overrated because they just barely play. There’s no one else in the top 20, who is particularly overrated, I would say. Obviously, Vishy never plays, but it’s not like I want to insult him. He is inactive, so he shouldn’t be in the list. But he is still a very strong player. It’s not like anything against him.”

American-born GM Hans Moke Niemann (2725) earned the grandmaster title in 2021. In 2025, Niemann played in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 Finals, where he finished in 7th place.

Credit: Dina Belenkaya