Legal Podcasts on the Niemann Lawsuit
The Dispatch's "Advisory Opinions" weighs in - twice.
Is all publicity good publicity? Maybe for narcissistic psychopaths, but not for the rest of us - or for chess. It’s good when chess makes it into the mainstream press because something exciting has happened or to celebrate a so-called human interest story, but…a lot of the time it’s because of something bad. The obvious case in point at the moment: the Hans Niemann $100 defamation lawsuit. It’s bad for chess, and it’s also annoying for those of us who play and love the game to hear or read the commentators’ titters about the game. Sorry, media people, but chess is a game with 600 million adult tournament players, to say nothing of the tens if not hundreds of millions of kids who play in tournaments. When the number of chess players is not all that far from the number of people who adhere to the world’s major religions, it’s time for responsible journalists to stop treating chess like the province of anti-social nerds - and a small number of them at that.
There’s a bit of that vibe from one of the podcasters, but the two “Advisory Opinions” shows covering the lawsuit(s) are worth your time nevertheless. The hosts, David French and Sarah Isgur, are both very smart, accomplished attorneys who have insightful things to say about the legal matters involved in the suit. The first one is here, and they discuss the suit through the 31:00 mark, and the second clarifies some matters and responds to audience feedback (this one covers the case through the 35:30 mark). (I’m not sure if it’s paywalled; if so, you can probably get around it with a free trial subscription.) If you only listen to one, make it the second, but both are worth your time.
Readers, if you’ve come across other discussions by those well-versed in the law, please post about them in the comments.
Hello Dennis.
Don't fall, also you, into the mistake of blaming Niemann.
Those who have defamed are to blame, not the one who has been defamed!
You should have complained before, with whoever defamed... not now, with whoever has been defamed.
There is no evidence that Niemann's lawsuit is detrimental to chess.
Cheatings and libels would anyway be there, but the lawsuit will likely help to set a few things in their place.
I've been a HUGE AND HARD MAGNUS FAN for 16 years but now I have come to feel a strong dislike for him and for what he did to Hans.
I hope Carlsen and the others will be punished, just as Amber Heard (who thought she could get away with it) was rightly punished a few months ago.
The figure of 600 million chess players in the world is notoriously a fake figure (you can find great articles by Edward Winter and Justin Horton about it).
ilMusso, Italy
P.S. Forgive me for my bad english.
You've probably already seen that Perpetual Chess Podcast had a bonus episode with a Law Professor David Franklin, who is also a chess player, dated 22/10.