“We got a cease and desist” - Andrea Botez reveals receiving a legal notice from GMHikaru for using his cutout

Popular chess and Twitch streamer Andrea Botez from "Botez Live" recently shared an unexpected revelation during her livestream. She disclosed that she and her sister Alexandra Botez received a cease and desist letter from Hikaru Nakamura, also known as GMHikaru. He is the biggest chess streamer on Twitch, having 1.9 million followers.

The issue arose due to her use of a cardboard cutout featuring GMHikaru on her and her sister’s broadcasts. Andrea said during the stream:

“We (the Botez sisters) got a cease and desist (from Hikaru)”

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Andrea Botez admits to receiving a warning from Hikaru Nakamura

Popular chess streamer Hikaru Nakamura has issued a notice to the Botez sisters for using his face on a cardboard cutout featured during the sisters' broadcasts.

It's worth noting that Andrea Botez used the cardboard cutout of GMHikaru as a playful gesture without intending to generate revenue or use it for promotional purposes. In fact, IM Daniel Rensch, the creator of chess.com, also incorporated a cardboard cutout of Hikaru’s face in almost the same way.

In a recent stream, Anna Cramling asked:

“Can I ask you one thing Andrea? I am very intrigued. How did you get a Hikaru cut out?”

Andrea Botez responded by stating:

“We cannot speak of the Hikaru cut out. The cut out is gone and we shall never speak about who once was here. It’s a sensitive matter.”

She went on about the cutout, saying:

“I will tell you half of it. I’ll tell you as much as I’m allowed. But all I can say is, Anna, we got a cease and desist. That’s all that will be said.”

For those unfamiliar with the phrase "cease and desist," it is a legal directive to immediately stop certain actions believed to be unlawful or infringing on someone's rights. It typically demands the recipient to halt the mentioned actions and refrain from repeating them in the future.

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Here's what the fans said

The clip was quickly shared across the popular livestreaming subreddit r/LivestreamFail, which garnered many comments.

Naturally, a lot of members were left bemused at the sight, with many believing it was down to professional rivalry. Here are some of the noteworthy responses in the thread:

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For those wondering, Hikaru Nakamura has not yet addressed the situation publicly.