The controversy followed Niemann's surprise victory over world champion Magnus Carlsen at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup. The "anal beads" theory originated from a humorous comment by chess commentator Eric Hansen on a Chessbrah stream and was later amplified by a tweet from Elon Musk. Investigations by Chess.com and FIDE (the International Chess Federation) found no determinative evidence that Niemann cheated in any in-person ("over-the-board") games, including his match against Carlsen. Niemann filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Chess.com in October 2022, and all parties reached a private settlement in August 2023.