Hans Moke Niemann

American GM

“Setting the record straight on the match with Ian Nepomniachtchi. The $100,000 came up last year at the Aeroflot Open and appeared in our promo video as part of the narrative. We should have made clear at the time that it wasn’t the agreed terms for this match, and that’s on us.

What isn’t in question is that Ian accepted the actual terms before we played a single move. Prize funds reflect a player’s current rating and standing, and Ian’s are well off his peak, so the figure was fair and he was glad to take it. Calling it “embarrassingly low” only after losing is poor form.

I even offered a tiebreak that gave him a real chance to win the match outright. He turned it down. He then asked for half the winner’s bonus for drawing the match, insisted on it, and complained when we said no. That bonus was for winning, nothing else, and we found the demand unreasonable.

Great effort went into this event, and I treated it as the occasion it was. Ian didn’t seem to take it as seriously. He wore the exact same shirt and hoodie every single day.

What I won’t let pass is his line that I played the final game ‘with no inaccuracies, like my younger years’. I’d ask Ian to say plainly what he means. Insinuations like that are serious and damaging, and we all remember what they cost me for years. I’d hoped he wouldn’t reach for them.

On a better note, revenue from ticket sales went to a local orphanage, with an additional donation from Endgame. That’s all I’ll say. From here, I’ll let the chess speak for itself.”