Hans Niemann reacts to ‘Rakhi Sawant of Chess’ tag: ‘Not sure who she is’

American grandmaster Hans Niemann has expressed confusion over an Indian influencer comparing him to Rakhi Sawant, a reality TV star. The comparison was made by Shraddha Jain, who goes by the name Aiyyo Shraddha. Niemann, speaking on X, said he is not familiar with Rakhi Sawant and questioned the comparison. He was also unhappy with ChessBase India's YouTube handle using a picture of Sawant alongside him.

Niemann stated that ChessBase India is usually known for being wholesome, not making such comparisons. During a YouTube interview conducted by ChessBase India, Shraddha was asked which chess players she would like to meet in real life. She initially mentioned Gukesh, then noted that it was because his name was easy to pronounce compared to Praggnanandhaa.

When asked if there were any other players she would like to meet, Shraddha named Hans Niemann. Niemann, who is not present in Bengaluru for the Global Chess League, said that he would like to meet Hans because he is "insane" and shows emotion, unlike other players who don't express themselves during or after games.