Chess scandal: Russian champion caught poisoning opponent with mercury

Russian chess champion Amina Abakarova has been suspended after she poisoned her former rival, Umayganat Osmanova, by lacing chess pieces with toxic mercury during a tournament

In a shocking incident, Russian chess champion Amina Abakarova has been suspended after being accused of poisoning her former rival, Umayganat Osmanova, by allegedly contaminating her chess pieces with toxic mercury during a tournament.

Abakarova has been taken into custody and could face a prison sentence of at least three years if convicted, according to The Post.
 

In a viral CCTV footage, the chess player is captured arriving at the event venue in Makhachkala, located in southern Russia. She observes her surroundings, moves toward her opponent’s table, retrieves an item from her bag, and pours a ‘substance’ onto the chessboard and some of the pieces.
 

The 43-year-old is alleged to have applied mercury to the chess board and pieces of 30-year-old Umayganat Osmanova. This act led to Osmanova experiencing dizziness and nausea soon after the tournament started. Osmanova was rushed to the hospital, and Abakarova lost her title.

Incident caught on CCTV

The incident took place during the Dagestan Chess Championship on August 2. Abakarova, a chess coach from Dagestan, was captured on CCTV entering the tournament room about 20 minutes before Osmanova arrived. The footage, which has become widely circulated, reveals Abakarova secretly transferring a substance from what appeared to be a thermometer onto Osmanova’s chessboard and pieces. She then quickly left the room.

As the game started, Osmanova and one of the event organisers began to experience symptoms such as nausea and dizziness. Emergency medical assistance was called, and it was later determined that mercury poisoning was the cause of their symptoms. Osmanova was hospitalised but subsequently recovered and went on to finish the tournament in second place.

The Mirror quoted Sazhida Sazhidova, Dagestan’s sports minister as saying, “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 a most tragic outcome, threatening the lives of everyone present, including herself. Now she must answer for what she did by the law.”