In world first, Russian chess player poisons rival’s board with mercury

What an imbecile. Mercury is a planet. It is too large to be hidden anywhere on a chess board

russians prove they can’t win anything legitimately

this type of stuff I will never get. why are you in a competition if you don't want to do the thing you competing in to win. join an assasin competition.

Between this, the antisemitism of Bobby Fischer, and the guy cheating with the power of teledildonics, I have to wonder what the hell is up with chess players.

What a bizarre way to try to murder someone. And over a chess game? I know Russians take their chess seriously, but this is insane.

Poisoning people, pushing people out of windows, and shooting people twice in the back of the head. The holy trinity of Russian assassinations.

'traditional russian values' on display for all to see

You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is "Never get involved in a land war in Ukraine." But only slightly less well known is this: "Never go in against a Russian when death is on the line!"

Oliver Carroll, a Ukraine war correspondent for The Economist, summed up the situation with some social media snark: "I know that on the standards of Russian doping it's perhaps only a 7 out of 10. But still..."

I'm surprised it actually worked. Liquid mercury isn't really that harmful, it's the vapors that get you. I'd be concerned about it affecting me too, since I'd also be sitting at the board.

Sounds pretty Russian

It's a product of the state of a country that calls Gary Kasparov a terrorist. https://www.chess.com/news/view/russia-issues-arrest-warrant-for-kasparov-on-terrorist-charges

"I learned it by watching you, Vlad!"

These chess strategies are getting more and more creative

Once again, 105 comments and nothing about the actual article and it's information. Plenty of xenophobic comments against a population of a country (like the U.S. government is that great, so therefor I must be exactly like my political leaders). The Chess players had already competed against each other and the other player who was poisoned won by a default with a tie. There's some other reporting about a confrontation between the two and they've known each other for years apparently.

Chessbase said the dispute was over a recent match between the two in which "both chess players scored the same number of points, but the victory was awarded to Osmanova, based on additional factors."

Another Telegram channel says that the issue was about negative statements made by Osmanova about Abakarova and her family members.

One Russian news outlet said that the two had known each other for years but had recently fought. In this version of the story, Abakarova showed up to one recent match with a phone, which is against the rules. Osmanova was upset but did not tell the judges. "She should have been grateful to me that I didn’t make a fuss and forgave her," Osmanova said. "Instead, Amina refused to shake my hand during the competition last week."

Definitely not ok either way and I hope that they get a sentencing that matches the crime. This is just a bitter crazy person it seems and has nothing to do about poisoning to win a match. Love the disconnect on the sports world and rampant cheating like it doesn't exist everywhere lol.

edit: some grammar

The Quicksilver Gambit? In modern chess? We're far beyond that!

This opening move is called "The Russian Statesman". Very traditional.

Russians doing Russian things

What a weird way to try to poison someone. Mercury is really only poisonous under specific circumstances. Specifically, it is extremely dangerous to breath its vapors.

Touching it, or being near a small amount of it a few feet away really doesn't do anything. It's a safe-ish substance to make casual contact with (still not safe, but not profoundly noxious either).

There have been cases of people surviving drinking and even injecting mercury, as it isn't toxic the way you might think it is under most circumstances.

It is still quite a dangerous thing, and using it maliciously (even if you have no idea what you're doing) is no joke. Fortunately, the person targeted here is likely unaffected by mercury exposure.

This is a story made for all the chess meme communities

Opening move Move poison to c1 Poison opponent

this was a death in paradise episode!

s11e08

I told y’all in 2020 - build a giant fence around there and nobody go in for 100 years. After that we’ll check on ‘em. But nooooo “it’s too expensive” pfffft. And now look - it’s . . . whatever this is!

I don't get this, mercury will absorb into the skin but it's not lethal unless you're exposed to a constant amount over time

it was all a result of a misunderstanding. his coach told him to focus on the H, G files of the chessboard and he heard that as something else.

There's a video of her putting the mercury on the board

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy1s1Q3knZA&t=36s

Should have used polonium instead, like the dear leader

How would it have poisoned just his rival and not also him? Touching it doesn't do much unless you're submerging your skin in it for long periods. The fumes would affect everyone. And it's very unlikely his opponent would have licked the board to ingest the mercury.

Oooo, I heard putin like chess? Maybe he could play next?

Seeing as mercury fumes are the real danger (you can fairly safely handle elemental mercury, it won't absorb into the skin) this seems like an exceptionally poor poisoning attempt. Maybe if you put a fan behind you so the fumes only waft into the opponents face...

Season 2 of The Queen's Gambit sounds crazy.

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Should have used vibrating anal beads imstead.

Arstechnica.

Edit: for those not understanding the joke, arsenic (As) is another toxic metal.

At least they didn't "fall out the window."

Sounds Russian.

If you can't beat'em, kill'em.

Tankies: is this critical support?

Intercepted message:

No no no no no no.

You throw the board out of the window.

The opponent goes "Oh no! My board!" and runs after it.

You have failed the basic training, agent.