English GM David Howell commented on Ian Nepomniachtchi’s statements about Hans Niemann. Howell says hinting at cheating without proof is unacceptable, and believes Nepo takes defeats personally.

David Howell

David Howell

English GM

“Nepo’s statement about the match was wild…

Unless you have proof, insinuating that someone is cheating is out of order. Especially because it’s so easy to throw around silly words…

Nepo said something about Hans playing like his younger days, ‘That was a perfect game’… Come on, just play chess and deal with the result.

I’m not a great loser, but I do believe in losing with grace and moving on. Maybe this is the reason Nepo isn’t improving anymore. He’s taking these things to heart personally.”

Hans Niemann and Ian Nepomniachtchi played an exhibition match in Belgrade at the end of May. The GMs played to a score of 4-4, Ian refused to play a tiebreak, and the match ended in a draw. Nepo criticized the match, and Niemann made a public explanation of the situation.

Hans and Ian are playing at the UzChess Cup 2026. Nepo didn’t shake hands with Niemann at the technical meeting, which became a discussion topic on social media. Ian commented on the situation, noting that Hans needs to learn how to behave.

Credit: Lennart Ootes