Chess outcast Hans Niemann says he was a top cyclist. Was he really?

> In April 2021, Niemann relayed his life story to Chess Life magazine, a lengthy monologue with a very specific claim – both numerically and geographically – at the start of it. “I continued cycling upon my initial return to the States, finding myself ranked third for my age nationally,” Niemann says.

> So, was he the third-best cyclist of his age in the US?

> There’s nothing in the results on USA Cycling’s database that appears to support that statement. At the Northern California Nevada Cycling Association district track championships, he finished fifth of five riders, in all six races. In the Valley of the Sun Road Race, he finished sixth of eight on the general classification. In 24 races he started through the 2013 season, Niemann took no wins. Of his eight podium finishes, only two races had more than three riders.

Niemann is clearly talented. At bending the truth...

> That leads us to the end of Hans Niemann’s foray into cycling – his dalliance with the sport that is mostly remarkable for how unremarkable it is. And that’s fine. Kids start riding, and kids stop. Kids win races and kids don’t. Kids come up with brash stories on the playground. Sometimes kids are told they’re special at something, and some of them probably internalise it and let the lines between truth and fiction blur.

Ouch... That's borderline insinuating

Of note is that the cover picture is AI generated

> Is the cover picture another one of those AI images?

> CT STAFF

> It is! It was a pretty unconventional feature image I was searching for, so when it didn't exist, I figured I'd give The Future a go. Quite evocative, I reckon.

Not knowing this guy's background, what do you have to do to become a "chess outcast"? Eat the pieces off the board during a game?

> Check yourself before Utrecht yourself

Nice pun.