Hans Niemann goes on Twitter rant after ban from STL chess events for wrecking his hotel room

The young American chess badboy didn’t take it well when the Saint Louis Chess Club publicly denied him invitations to their prestigious events in a Feb. 2 statement. Along the way, he confirmed several of the swirling allegations on social media—no, not about the cheating thing, but about wrecking a fancy hotel room after a series of poor results.

It all began with a statement on X, formerly Twitter, posted by the Saint Louis Chess Club, one of the most notable and prestigious chess organizers in North America. Among other important functions, they host the Grand Chess Tour and two of its best-known events, the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz and the Sinquefield Cup—and they made it clear that Hans Niemann would not be welcome this year.