Hans Niemann has called for a podcast appearance with Joe Rogan after Magnus Carlsen’s interview on The Joe Rogan Experience stirred controversy. Niemann challenged the narrative pushed by Carlsen and wants to share his side of the chess cheating scandal.
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Hans Niemann has put his name forward for a podcast with Joe Rogan after Magnus Carlsen’s recent interview on The Joe Rogan Experience sparked controversy in the chess world. The 21-year-old American grandmaster took to social media to challenge the narrative shared by
Carlsen about his alleged cheating row and urged Rogan to call him on the podcast to share his side of the story.
Niemann’s callout came via X (formerly Twitter), where he expressed his surprise at Rogan’s “unquestioned trust in the establishment.”
Niemann wants podcast with Rogan
Niemann shared his willingness to appear on the podcast to discuss the long-standing controversy that erupted in 2023 when Carlsen accused him of cheating during the Sinquefield Cup.
“Surprised to see unquestioned trust in the establishment. @joerogan Your podcast has always been about challenging the narrative. Ready to share the truth anytime,” Niemann wrote.
Surprised to see unquestioned trust in the establishment. @joerogan Your podcast has always been about challenging the narrative. Ready to share the truth anytime.
— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) February 21, 2025
Niemann has not held back in his criticism of Carlsen in recent months. Following the Norwegian grandmaster’s appearance on Rogan’s podcast,
Niemann slammed Carlsen, stating that he would “rather retire” than continue engaging in “malicious accusations.”
“I’d rather retire than stoop to malicious accusations and character assassination. My commitment to chess is eternal, the chess will speak in due time,” Niemann posted last Friday.
The feud stems from Carlsen’s accusations that Niemann had cheated in over-the-board play in 2022, a claim that led Niemann to file a $100 million lawsuit against Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Chess.com. While Niemann admitted to past instances of online cheating, he has maintained his innocence in classical, over-the-board games.
The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed by a US judge, and the dispute was formally settled in August 2023. However, tensions between the two grandmasters have reignited after Carlsen’s recent appearance on Rogan’s podcast, where he talked about the controversy in length.