A Russian chess coach faces potential jail time after allegedly attempting to poison her opponent during a championship in Dagestan.

Amina Abakarova, 40, is accused of smearing mercury on the chessboard of Umayganat Osmanova, 30, causing her to fall ill mid-game.

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Security footage captured Abakarova’s actions, leading to her detention. Osmanova described feeling “terrible” and “morally depressed” upon realizing she had been poisoned.

“I still feel bad. In the first minutes, I felt a lack of air and a taste of iron in my mouth,” Osmanova told Russia Today.

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

Abakarova reportedly admitted to wanting to “knock her opponent out of the tournament” due to “personal hostility.”

The Russian Chess Federation has temporarily suspended Abakarova pending investigation.

Read more at Chess.com