American grandmaster Hans Niemann has scoffed at an Indian influencer comparing him to reality TV star Rakhi Sawant. Niemann was reacting to Shraddha Jain, known more popularly as Aiyyo Shraddha, saying that Niemann is like the Rakhi Sawant of chess.

“Not sure who Rakhi Sawant is but I don’t really understand the comparison,” Niemann said on X while commenting on a YouTube interview of Shraddha done by ChessBase India.

Niemann also took offence at ChessBase’s YouTube handle using a photo of Sawant wearing fake devil horns and himself side by side. “CB India is usually wholesome, not comparing me to someone with devil horns,” said Niemann.

Shraddha was in Bengaluru’s Lalit Ashok for the fourth edition of the Global Chess League. She was asked in the interview which chess players she would like to meet in real life. She had said Gukesh, and then said it was because he had an easy name to pronounce compared to Praggnanandhaa. She was then reminded that both players had skipped this season of the GCL.

Then she named Niemann when asked if there was any other player she would want to meet. Niemann, for the record, is also not in Bengaluru for the GCL.

“I would like to meet that guy, Hans. Because he is so insane, no? He’s the only player who shows some expression, some emotion. Other players don’t show any emotion in chess. After a game is over, you have to ask the players themselves, who won the game. Both players look the same, nobody is pumping fists or showing emotions. Unless some throws a chess piece here or there, that’s a different bawaal (issue).

“But Hans Niemann, har time kuch na kuch (everytime there is something with him). Wow! Like he’s the Rakhi Sawant of chess,” she added.