Russian Chess Champion Caught On Camera Trying To Poison Rival With Deadly Mercury
Amina Abakarova, a 40-year-old chess coach from Makhachkala in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, is accused of trying to poison her rival, 30-year-old Umayganat Osmanova.
A chess player has been suspended by the Russian Chess Federation and is reportedly facing time in jail after she allegedly tried to poison her rival at the chessboard during a tournament, Chess.com reports.
The shocking incident occurred at the Dagestan Chess Championship on August 2, which has now gained widespread attention from both Russian state media and global news outlets.
Security footage reveals that Abakarova deliberately approached the chessboard assigned to her opponent, Osmanova, who was scheduled to arrive 20 minutes later.
Prior to the incident, Abakarova had inquired about the presence of security cameras and was informed that they were not operational. She then allegedly applied a potentially lethal substance, identified as mercury from a thermometer, to the board.
Osmanova said she began feeling unwell 30 minutes later, complaining of nausea and dizziness, prompting an immediate call for medical assistance. Doctors eventually concluded that poisoning was a likely cause. After reviewing the footage from security cameras, the arbiter reported it to the police and Abakarova was detained, rtv1.com reports.
Osmanova described her ordeal, saying she felt "terrible, disgusting, and morally depressed" when she realized she had been poisoned. She said another player and a member of the organization also became ill.
"I still feel bad. In the first minutes, I felt a lack of air and a taste of iron in my mouth. I had to spend about five hours on this board. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t seen it earlier," she told Russia Today.
Abakarova has reportedly confessed that she wanted to "knock her opponent out of the tournament," admitting "personal hostility" toward Osmanova, who had a week earlier won the Dagestan Rapid Championship above her on tiebreaks. The plan was not to harm Osmanova, but to scare her, according to a police report quoted by Russian media.
Abakarova has been detained by police and is facing up to three years in jail, according to The Mirror. Andrey Filatov, the President of the Russian Chess Federation, has also confirmed that Abakarova is temporarily suspended from Russian chess events, pending an investigation into the incident. She is potentially facing a lifetime ban.
Dagestan's Minister of Sport, Sazhida Sazhidova, is also shocked: "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 who was present, including herself. Now she must answer for what she did by the law."
Despite falling ill, Osmanova fully recovered and continued the tournament, eventually finishing in second place and winning a prize. Abakarova was expelled after the fourth round and is unlikely to play chess again anytime soon.
Comments
Post a Comment