Police in Russia have launched a criminal investigation after a chess champion was caught on camera allegedly poisoning her rival’s board with toxic mercury during a regional competition in the Russian Republic of Dagestan. Organisers were forced to suspend the chess tournament held in the city of Makhachkalaere on August 2, after 30-year-old European champion Umayganat Osmanova’s health suddenly deteriorated while taking part in the competition. Police officers investigating the scene later discovered a strange substance on Osmanova’s table, which was subsequently analysed and confirmed to be a form of mercury.
Exposure to mercury can be extremely hazardous and is capable of triggering a range of serious health problems affecting the lungs, eyes, and the digestive and immune systems. During a subsequent investigation, security footage emerged online showing Osmanova’s opponent and rival in the competition Amina Abakarova allegedly spread a substance over the table. Russian chess champion Amina Abakarova was caught on CCTV trying to poison her rival pic.
twitter.com/I23Wpar0nb — non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) August 8, 2024 The Republic of Dagestan's minister of sports Sazhid Sazhidov assured fans via a Russian-language Telegram post that Osmanova is not in a life threatening condition, while the Russian Chess Federation noted that “no one else was hurt” as a result of the poisoning attempt. However, Russian outlets have since reported that another woman .