The Chess Row That Just Keeps Going And Going: Niemann Vs Nepo

Everyone loves a sporting rivalry with a deep seething dislike between two top players. And chess might just have one.

Just when you thought the saga between 22-year-old American GM Hans Niemann and Russia's two-time world title challenger GM Ian Nepomniachtchi had finally reached its natural conclusion, the chess gods gave us yet another episode.

Remember the match in Belgrade?

Eight classical games. Plenty of hype. Anti-cheating measures. A supposed $100,000 prize fund. A chance for Niemann to test himself against one of the grandmasters he believes helped damage his career.

The grudge match was frosty. But result was 4-4, a tie, and we thought Niemann redeemed himself and that was the end of the matter. Not so.

As the two players moved onto the super-strong UzChess Cup, which started this week in Tashkent, they carried their on-going beef with them.

Nepomniachtchi was apparently was still unhappy with Niemann's conduct during and after their Belgrade match and so refused to shake hands with the American before the tournament.

According to Nepo, Niemann "needs to learn how to behave" and, as he put it, "he's not a teenager anymore." Wow.

Russia's number-one, who himself has been busy rebuilding his own reputation as an elite GM, said he found Niemann's behaviour disrespectful and was also frustrated that communication between the camps apparently broke down after the match ended.

If that wasn't enough, Nepo also poured cold water on one of the biggest talking points surrounding the event: the money.

For weeks the match was widely discussed as a $100,000 showdown. Nepomniachtchi now claims the real figure was "significantly smaller" and said bluntly he is "ashamed to even say" what the actual prize fund was. He also suggested that important details—including any potential tiebreak—were never properly agreed in advance.

Niemann, who provided the cash out of his own pocket, sees things rather differently.

Before the UzChess Cup kicked off, Niemann apparently pushed organisers to clarify tiebreak procedures before the event even began. The reason? Belgrade.

Niemann said his proposed tiebreak there was refused, an outcome that clearly still bothers him.

Discussing tournament regulations, Niemann even joked about his apparent gift for prediction, telling reporters: "You'll see the level of my prophecies at this tiebreak."

All this wrangling hasn't helped the players. In Round 1 both Niemann and Nepo lost their games. Both players then won in Round 2 and drew in Round 3—they've had exactly the same results.

Niemann and Nepo aren't due to meet until Round 8, the penultimate round of the tournament. Maybe that'll settle it?