'He’s A Good Player Who Talks A Lot': Carlsen On Niemann In New Netflix Clip

Two newly-released clips from Netflix’s upcoming Untold: Chess Mates documentary offer glimpses into both sides of the Carlsen vs. Niemann saga, featuring candid reflections from GMs Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann, and Hikaru Nakamura, just days ahead of the film’s premiere.

The documentary, which revisits the controversy between Carlsen and Niemann that shook the chess world following their 2022 encounter, is set for release on April 7. Anticipation has been building steadily since the official trailer dropped on March 10, quickly hitting half a million views.

The momentum continued on Friday, as the streaming giant released a new 89-second clip, featuring Carlsen reflecting candidly on his own self-perception as a player. 

"I know that I am relatively bright, but I am not a genius. I am not something amazing. I only know that when I sit down at the board, I am better than the other guy," he says with a grin.

I know that I am relatively bright, but I am not a genius.
—Magnus Carlsen

The Norwegian has dominated the chess world for almost two decades, but admits to moments of doubt.

"I sometimes feel as though I don't deserve it. I feel like at times it comes easy to me. There are probably people who worked harder, who haven't reached as far."

Carlsen also reflects on his first encounters with Niemann online while streaming the game on his own channel, noting: "It was at times quite entertaining, because his mood swings would be pretty wild."

He had this verdict of the early games: “He was pretty decent, but I still won the games quite easily.”

Carlsen summed up his impression of Niemann with: “He’s a good player who happens to be American—and talks a lot.”

He’s a good player who happens to be American—and talks a lot.
—Magnus Carlsen

Niemann, meanwhile, describes the experience of facing a player he described as his childhood idol: “I was just this kid who didn’t view himself as this potential champion, and suddenly here I am playing Magnus, playing the world champion, someone I looked up to for so long.”

The 22-year-old is, like Carlsen, currently in Karlsruhe, Germany, where both are taking part in the Grenke Chess Freestyle Open, a part of the massive Grenke Chess Festival with more than 3,500 participants. The event kicked off Thursday, and continues with the second and third rounds on Friday.

Niemann has regularly promoted the Netflix release on his account on X, as he did with this clip from the first round of the tournament.

April 7… @netflix pic.twitter.com/MhpoLwQfy8

— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) April 2, 2026

A day before the start of the tournament, he also shared another exclusive clip from the documentary, where Nakamura gives his own assessment of his younger rival.

"Hans is someone I would compete against, playing blitz games online. It was very clear that he was a strong player, there is no doubt about it. I didn't really care about his brand of antics," Nakamura said.

Nice guys finish last… pic.twitter.com/49hw8IvSjj

— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) April 1, 2026

Nakamura is a central figure in the controversy, as he was named as a defendant in Niemann's $100 million defamation lawsuit for discussing the case and sharing his opinions on his own platforms.

"In the old-school chess establishment, the view is that you have to be very proper. You win, you say, ‘I won the game.’ You lose, you say, 'The guy played better than me.'"

"But Hans is very wild. When he lost games, he would scream, he’d yell. When he’d win games, he’d be like, ‘I’m the greatest in the world.’"

Niemann, for his part, addressed his much-discussed behavior in the same clip: “I know a lot of players would talk about it—‘Why does he do this, do that?’ And they all think it’s so crazy, but in the world of sports it’s really not that crazy. It’s normal.”

“Why do I have to be held to the standard of being so polite and nice? Nice guys, you know, they finish last, as they say. And I am not a nice guy. You can’t be a nice guy and be a champion, unfortunately.”

Nice guys, you know, they finish last, as they say. And I am not a nice guy. You can’t be a nice guy and be a champion, unfortunately.
—Hans Niemann

Untold: Chess Mates is available for streaming on Netflix from April 7.