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The chess world found itself at the center of a bizarre scandal a couple of years ago thanks to a competitor accused of harnessing a certain kind of toy that’s not for kids, and the sport has spawned yet another wild controversy thanks to a player who was seemingly filmed poisoning an opponent with mercury prior to a match last week.
Most people would probably place chess pretty low on the list of sports known for being a hotbed of drama. With that said, the game with a history stretching back more than 1,500 years has managed to spawn some pretty wild sagas and has once again delivered thanks to what recently unfolded in Russia.
Last week, the Chess House in the city of Makhachkala (the capital of the Republic of Dagestan) hosted a championship tournament that featured Amina Abakarova and Umayganat Osmanova, two rivals who’ve been playing against each other since they were kids.
According to The Independent, the 40-year-old Abakarova developed an appetite for revenge after the 30-year-old Osmanova insulted her at the tournament on Friday, and officials believe she retaliated by breaking open a mercury thermometer and pouring the toxic substance on the pieces of a chess board where her foe was scheduled to play—an alleged act that was captured by a security camera in the room.
A chess tournament in the Russian republic of Dagestan took a dramatic turn when a player was accused of poisoning her opponent with mercury.
Amina Abakarova approached her opponent's table before the start of the match and spilled mercury near the chessboard. pic.twitter.com/vh2YpVmpDU
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) August 7, 2024
Osmanova spoke with a Russian outlet to share her side of the story, saying she noticed tiny metal beads underneath her chessboard before realizing it was likely mercury when she touched it with her finger before experiencing dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath (which are all well-documented symptoms of mercury poisoning).
She quickly alerted officials who were eventually able to confirm it was mercury and quickly realized Abakarova was the top suspect due to the CCTV video they handed over to Russian authorities who are investigating a case that could lead to her spending up to three years in prison.
The Russian Chess Federation said it is waiting for the case to work its way through the legal system before handing out any punishment but noted Abakarova could also be banned for life if she’s ultimately found guilty.