The 2022 Sinquefield Cup occupies a special place in chess history. It was in this edition of the prestigious event at the Saint Louis Chess Club where world No 1 Magnus Carlsen had accused Hans Niemann of cheating after losing to the American Grandmaster in the third round, leading to one of the biggest scandals in the sport’s history.

The controversy’s set to be explored in further detail in a
Netflix documentary titled _Untold: Chess Mates_ that will be released on 7 April, with the US streaming giant
releasing a trailer for the episode earlier this week on YouTube and other platforms.

No evidence to suggest Niemann cheated, says chief arbiter

Among those reacting to the teaser uploaded on X by Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) was Chris Bird, who occupies a special place in the sport’s history as the Chief Arbiter of what is one of the most infamous games of chess ever.

And in his quote-tweet to the clip posted by Netflix Sports, Bird raised eyebrows by claiming that he had “seen no evidence” that would suggest Niemann had cheated against Carlsen, or in any of the other games he’s overseen that also involved the American GM.

“It’s sad to say but even to this day one of the most common questions I get asked when folks find out I was the Chief Arbiter of “the game” is do I think Hans was cheating? I’ve seen no evidence that Hans cheated in this game, or any event I’ve overseen that he has played in,” Bird wrote in the quote-tweet on Saturday, hinting at the possibility of Niemann being unfairly targeted by the five-time world champion.

It’s sad to say but even to this day one of the most common questions I get asked when folks find out I was the Chief Arbiter of “the game” is do I think Hans was cheating? I’ve seen no evidence that Hans cheated in this game, or any event I’ve overseen that he has played in. https://t.co/YLUYnUpyG9

— Chris Bird (@ChrisBirdIA) March 14, 2026

Niemann had responded to the cheating allegations nearly four years ago by filing a $100 million lawsuit against Carlsen and several others. The case, however, was ultimately resolved through an out-of-court settlement between the two parties.

Carlsen and Niemann, however, have shared frosty relations ever since, with the latter accusing the Norwegian superstar of attempting to ruin his life with his accusations and the two trading barbs on social media and through other platforms.

Their heated rivalry has also led to some high-voltage showdowns over the board, with Carlsen pulling off dramatic victories over Niemann at the Speed Chess Championships and the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in 2024, a couple of years after the scandal.