‘Polygraph finished, passed on all fronts’: Hans Niemann claims ‘lie-detector’ test failed to prove over-the-board cheating

Polygraph finished, passed on all fronts.
Have you ever cheated over the board? No
Verdict: True. I think it’s time for a rematch with Dubov. I’ll be in Moscow again in 2 weeks!

— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) May 7, 2025

Niemann also called for a rematch against Dubov and said “chess always speaks for itself.”

In another post, he wrote, “Mental gymnastics of my detractors: “You refused the polygraph that proves everything” Then switching to “polygraphs are pseudoscience this proves nothing”. Some people will always twist everything to fit their perspective. The only constant is that the chess always speaks for itself.”

What was the challenge?

Niemann was supposed to undergo a lie-detecting polygraph test after losing an 18-game blitz match against Dubov. Niemann had challenged Dubov to a showdown in Russia to settle their World Rapid and Blitz dispute, with the condition that the loser had to answer one question with a polygraph test.

In March, Niemann faced Dubov and lost the 18-game challenge by a margin of 8.5-9.5, resulting in him facing the polygraph test.

This came after Dubov’s ‘no show’ at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship against Niemann, citing that he fell asleep.

Following the incident, Niemann extended an open challenge to Dubov. “Happy to play Dubov in a blitz match under ANY conditions. I will pay for his travel/accommodation and offer a $10,000 reward to a charity of his choice if he wins,” Niemann had posted on X.

Dubov accepted the challenge after Niemann’s quarterfinal loss to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen but with specific conditions.

In an Instagram post, Dubov proposed a lie detector test for Niemann. “I’m ready to play, under the following conditions: You agree to a lie detector test with a trained professional… Test to feature only questions about cheating, with the results to be communicated to the community at large. If the test comes out clean, I will admit my decision was rash and play a 24-game blitz match against you, 8 games a day, $2,000 per point,” Dubov wrote.

Later, Magnus Carlsen added fuel to the controversy by suggesting that Dubov’s absence may have been deliberate to ‘prove a point.’ That came amid lingering tensions after Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating in 2022. Although Carlsen later retracted his claims following a $100 million defamation lawsuit from Niemann.