#chessscandal #chessgrandmaster #cheating
STRASBOURG, FRANCE — Chess grandmaster, Igors Rausis, has been accused of using his phone in a toilet to cheat in what is said to be the highest-profile cheating scandal since 2015.
The 58-year-old Latvian-Czech had raised suspicions after he increased his chess rating in recent years to an almost impressive 2700.
The Telegraph reported that the use of mobile phones at most chess tournaments is banned and that many high-level tournaments require players to pass through metal detectors when they enter playing.
According to Chess.com, the phone was discovered in a restroom. Rausis later signed a declaration that the phone was indeed his; though his motives behind using the phone are still being investigated.
Grandmaster and chess pundit Andrey Deviatkin commented, "I always considered huge progress in chess to be highly unlikely after 30." This is because it is believed players decline in strength with age.
Rausis said in a comment to Chess.com that he confirmed he was, in fact, using a phone during a match. He claimed he was tired after the morning game and that accusers on Facebook impacted him — saying, "I played my last game of chess already."
Emil Sutovsky, Director-General of FIDE, aka the World Chess Federation, said Rausis had been under suspicion for a while now and that the FIDE Ethics Commission would deal with this case. French police are also involved.
