A Russian chess player is facing possible jail time and criminal charges after she allegedly used liquid mercury from a broken thermometer to poison a rival player during a large tournament earlier this month. As reported by Chess.com , 40-year-old chess coach Amina Abakarova has been accused of poisoning 30-year-old player Umayganat Osmanova during the Dagestan Chess Championship on August 2.
About 30 minutes into playing in the tournament, Osmanova alerted officials that she was feeling sick, complaining of nausea and dizziness. Doctors were called and they deduced that she had likely been poisoned. Officials checked security footage and discovered Abakarova allegedly poisoning Osmanova’s chess board.
In footage released online , you can see Abakarova enter an area filled with chess boards and empty chairs. Before the tournament had started, the chess pro walked over to where Osmanova was scheduled to play and then smeared liquid mercury—allegedly from a broken thermometer—onto the table and board. Reportedly, before the incident, she had asked officials if there were security cameras in the area and had been told no.
After police were notified by the tournament’s officials and reviewed the footage, they arrested Abakarova. Poisoning incident in Russian 🇷🇺 Chess. Statement by the Chess Federation of Russia, video from Karjakin’s Telegram: pic.
twitter.com/5ePqEUMAI1 — Peter Heine Nielsen (@PHChess) August 7, 2024 “I still feel bad. In the first minutes, I.