World of the Bizarre

Russian chess player filmed 'smearing poison' on opponent's pieces

By T.K. Randall
August 10, 2024

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Chess can be a tough game, especially when you are playing against some of the world's best players at a tournament, which is perhaps why one prominent player recently decided to enact a devilish plot designed to take her opponent out of the game without actually having to beat them.

According to reports, video footage captured the moment Amina Abakarova tried to poison her opponent by smearing mercury from a thermometer onto their pieces.

The tournament itself took place in the Caucasus republic of Dagestan.

Unsurprisingly, Abakarova now faces not only criminal charges but also a permanent ban from chess pending the outcome of the police investigation into her actions.Her rival, Umayganat Osmanova, did in fact handle the poisoned pieces and later fell ill, which is what prompted officials to look back over the footage in the first place.

"As a result, during the game Osmanova's health worsened and she required medical attention," said Dagestan's sports minister Sazhid Sazhidov. "However, no one else was hurt."

"At the moment, the lives of the participants and guests of the competition are not in danger."

"Like many others, I am perplexed by what happened."


Source: NBC News

Tags: Russia, Chess