A Russian chess champion has been arrested and suspended on suspicion of poisoning a rival.
According to the international press, the incident took place last Friday in Makhachkala, in the Republic of Dagestan, in southern Russia. The chess player in question is Amina Abakarova, who spread mercury on the pieces that were to be used by Umayganat Osmanova before the match.
The moment was captured by security cameras and the images show Abakarova entering the room where the tournament was to take place, approaching a table and, after checking that no one was watching her, taking a bottle from her bag and spreading the contents on the board. You can watch the video in the gallery above.
After the match began, Umayganat Osmanova felt dizzy and nauseous and had to receive medical assistance.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, citing Alexander Tkachyov, executive director of the Russian Chess Federation, the possibility of banning the chess player for life is being considered.
"We are awaiting the investigation by law enforcement agencies," Tkachyov said. "If the other chess player is found guilty, our reaction will be harsh, possibly a life ban," he added, expressing regret over the incident and wishing Osmanova well.
A police report cited by Russian media said that Abakarova admitted to "personal hostility" towards Osmanova. The plan was to scare her in order to "take revenge for unpleasant things" Osmanova had said about her family "behind her back."
Sazhida Sazhidova, the head of sports in the Republic of Dagestan, said: "Like many others, I am perplexed by what happened, and the motives of such an experienced competitor as Amina Abakarova are incomprehensible. The actions she took could have led to an extremely tragic outcome, threatening the lives of everyone present, including her own. Now she must answer for what she did according to the law."
