At least it wasn't novichok.
  • Xerxos@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    This opening move is called “The Russian Statesman”. Very traditional.

  • bdonvr@thelemmy.clubEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    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…

  • Gsus4@mander.xyzEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    It’s a product of the country that calls Gary Kasparov a terrorist…

    • Moonrise2473@feddit.itEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

      Lol just learned about that series. 100+ murders in the span of a few years in a remote Island with 10k population? Sounds plausible

      • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
        0·
        6 months ago

        haha yeah, the murder rate is a bit steep. as someone else said who had pointed it out to me on lemmy, its like comfort food. you kinda know what youre getting, but the characters are well written.

    • circuscritic@lemmy.caEnglish
      0·
      6 months ago

      …this was a regional tournament, in the Caucasus Republic of Dagestan.

      So calling them Russian is technically accurate, but really they are a brutalized and subjugated colonial subject of Russia.

      Also, you’ll find this kind of crazy anywhere you go. She literally just dumped mercury around her opponents chess board when she thought no one was around to notice.

      I get why it’s catching headlines, but give me a break. It’s just crazy being crazy.

      • HomerianSymphony@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        6 months ago

        So calling them Russian is technically accurate

        The word Russian has two meanings in English. It can mean relating to the country of Russia, or relating to the Rus ethnicity.

        The Russian language distinguishes the two. The first is росси́йский. The second is ру́сский. Both words are translated as “Russian” in English, which causes confusion in English, but there’s no such confusion in Russian.

        These people (Dagestanis) are Russian in the first sense, but not the second sense.

        Historically, the second sense of “Russian” included Ukrainians and Belarussians (so you could say Ukrainians were Russian in the second sense, but not the first sense) but it’s become controversial to do so since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

      • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        6 months ago

        they are a brutalized and subjugated colonial subject of Russia

        TBF even Russia is a brutalized and subjugated colonial subject of Russia.

        • Bizzle@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          6 months ago

          Japan, maybe? Or like the Khmer Rouge? I’m not saying the Nazis aren’t monsters because they totally are, I’m just saying the competition might be closer than you think.

  • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    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.

  • Cataphract@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    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 play 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 sentence 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.

  • umbraroze@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    6 months ago

    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.