Dubov Wins Match Vs. Niemann With Outstanding 64.g4!? Breakthrough

GM Daniil Dubov won an 18-game blitz match against GM Hans Niemann with a final score of 9.5-8.5. As the prize, Niemann had agreed to answer one question with a polygraph test. The match, which took place March 7-8 in Moscow, Russia was a follow-up to their round-10 encounter at the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship that took place in New York last December.

[Updated March 18, 2025:] In a YouTube video, Niemann announced that he will not be answering a question with the lie detector, citing Dubov's "disrespectful" behavior. Read our follow-up article here.

[Updated March 21, 2025:] Niemann shared a post on X/Twitter that he has scheduled the polygraph test and intends to keep his word.

Niemann flew to Moscow to play in the 2025 Aeroflot Open, but along the way he struck a deal with Dubov. The match would happen on the latter's home turf, and would supposedly settle a dispute they had. In December, Dubov didn't show up to his game with Niemann, and the latter won by forfeit.

At the time, Dubov claimed that he got to his hotel room, fell asleep in the 15 minutes between rounds, and then didn't wake up in time for this game. Niemann had a different theory, as he told NRK: "I don't think he's my biggest fan," he said, "Usually when someone doesn't show up against me I have one assumption."

With the free point, Niemann drew his next three games and qualified for the Knockout on the next day. He would go on to win game two in the Quarterfinals against GM Magnus Carlsen but lose three and four, thus losing the match to the world co-champion to be.

Soon after, the players agreed to settle their dispute on the 64 squares. Some particulars about the format and Nobel Prize in Chemistry recipient CM Demis Hassabis moderating didn't stick, but the match and the lie detector would proceed three months later. Chess.com has used the polygraph test for several videos with grandmasters (like Magnus Carlsen), though as the American Psychological Association writes, "Most psychologists agree that there is little evidence that polygraph tests can accurately detect lies." It still makes for entertaining content.

I've been asked to share this since DD's not on twitter@demishassabis pic.twitter.com/YstPDBivzX

— Peter Svidler (@polborta) December 31, 2024

Niemann was not to be underestimated in this match. In 2024, he had organized four matches against top players and won every single one of them (covered here): against GMs Vidit Gujrathi, Anish Giri, Nikita Vitiugov, and Etienne Bacrot. He also beat GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Wesley So in the Speed Chess Championship to qualify for the Finals in Paris, so on top of being a 2700+ grandmaster, Niemann has proved his worth in one-on-one matches.

Dubov won the 2018 World Rapid Chess Championship and is also one of the world's best blitz players. In 2016 he finished third in the World Blitz Chess Championship and then in 2023 he came second. He is perhaps best known for his creative approach in the opening—there are several openings named after him—and he has worked as a second for Carlsen.

The match took two days, with all games played over the board with a 3+2 time control. Dubov was off to a great start when he won on time in the first game in an objectively equal position, and he ended the first day with a two-point lead, 5.5-3.5. The Russian GM scored the hat-trick in games six-eight, finding a nice tactic in game seven to finish things off. 34...Nf4+! was a temporary sacrifice, opening the d-file and the third rank.

But day two was nearly a catastrophe for the leader, as Niemann evened the score. Dubov scored again in game 11, but Niemann then won four out of five games, in games 13-17, for an incredible recovery. The first win in that string was the flashiest, where Niemann found the out-of-the-blue sacrifice 47.Bxg7!!. It's the only move not to lose or be worse, and while it doesn't give White an objective advantage, it dealt such a blow that Dubov, with five seconds, immediately collapsed.

Going into the last game, either player could have won, and Dubov had the white pieces. This was the nicest one, with the breakthrough 64.g4!? scoring the point. Again, it's not a winning move and Black could have objectively drawn, but in blitz extra credit should be awarded for finding practically difficult questions for the opponent, and here Niemann didn't pass the test.

You can watch IM Levy Rozman's recap of the match below.

Or follow GM Hikaru Nakamura.

With that, Dubov won the match by a single, nail-biting game. What's next? Niemann has agreed to answer a question with a polygraph test, though the details are yet to be announced. Chess.com will update this article when we have more information.

Niemann continues to organize matches through posts on social media. He issued a $100,000 challenge to World Blitz Co-Champion GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, who has not responded publicly. After that, he has proposed an open invitation for any players rated over 2700 FIDE, with $100,000 on the table for anyone over 2750.