A Russian chess player allegedly tried to poison her opponent
It seems chess is a game that is as brutal as we thought it was...
Chess has always been hailed as a game for strategic minds. It leaves no room for chance, but there is always room for deception.
Hidden agenda is the point of the game, with one player trying to oust the other and one kingdom trying to dethrone another. Regardless of the player's antics in the game, there has always been a healthy friendship.
Not everyone follows that level of camaraderie, though. A Russian player, Amina Abakarova is facing a possible lifetime ban from playing and criminal proceedings after she allegedly poisoned her opponent's chess board moments before their match.
"The Russian player is under investigation after allegedly being caught on camera spraying her opponent’s board with what authorities said was a substance containing mercury as part of an attempted poisoning ahead of a match last week." (NBC News)
Watch the video below - courtesy of Instagram.
NBC News shared a report by Baza, a Telegram News Channel, "One of the participants who sat at the table with a board that was smeared fell ill during the tournament."
The woman who fell ill, Umaiganat Osmanova, said: "I felt ill. I started breathing deeply and could not get enough air. I could not understand what was going on."
Abakarova has won the tournament before, and perhaps her desire to win again pushed her to act unlawfully and harshly.
"Mercury can be a potent poison. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, inhalation is the most common exposure method, which can result in respiratory symptoms. Abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, renal dysfunction, visual disturbances and central nervous system damage may also occur, according to the agency." (NBC News)
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