Hans Niemann accuses Magnus Carlsen of slander and files a $100 million lawsuit against him.

HANS NIEMANN accuses Magnus Carlsen of defamation and sues him for $100 million. Expand this picture AFP via Getty Images, Tim Vizer

switch to caption AFP via Getty Images, Tim Vizer AFP via Getty Images, Tim Vizer In his retaliation against chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann has filed a court complaint accusing Carlsen of intentionally conspiring with others to discredit the 19-year-old grandmaster and harm his career.

Since Carlsen stated that Niemann’s shocking victory against him at the Sinquefield Cup competition in St. Louis was the product of cheating in early September, a scandal has added unprecedented levels of drama to the world of top chess.

Niemann is requesting that a Missouri federal court’s eastern district grant him at least $100 million in damages. Carlsen, his business Play Magnus Group, the website Chess.com and its executive director, Danny Rensch, as well as grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura are named as defendants in the complaint.

According to the lawsuit, Carlsen was driven to maintain his title as “king of chess” in the wake of Niemann’s shocking victory in September in order to finalize his company’s acquisition by Chess.com, a deal worth tens of millions of dollars.

In the court document, Rensch and Nakamura are charged with exploiting their power to magnify and support Carlsen’s allegations that Niemann is a cheater. One day after Niemann placed fifth in a tie with five other competitors in the U.S. Chess Championship tournament , the lawsuit asking for a jury trial was filed on Thursday.

CHESS.COM DENIES NIEMANN’S VERSION OF THE EVENTS AGAIN Niemann claims that