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Topics: Crime, Health, Russia, Sport, World News
Emily Brown
A Russian chess champion has been accused of trying to poison one of her competitors ahead of her performance at a tournament.
Amina Abakarova was spotted on CCTV footage at the Dagestan Chess Championship in Makhachkala, southern Russia, where her rival Umayganat Osmanova was soon set to play.
In the video, Abakarova can be seen placing a bag under one of the tables before looking around her and approaching one of the other chess boards.
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The room was still mostly empty of people at the time, and the 40-year-old then appeared to touch the pieces and wipe the board before walking away, again checking around her as she left.
After Osmanova, 30, sat down to play, she fell sick with 'severe dizziness and nausea'.
A judge at the tournament reported the incident to police, and a later check of CCTV cameras revealed Abakarova’s seemingly unusual behavior at the tournament.
Abakarova was accused of pouring mercury from a thermometer near the board where Osmanova would be playing; a crime Abakarova is said to have confessed to.
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The chess champion, who won the North Caucasus Federal District Chess Championship in Pyatigorsk last year, claimed her motive was 'personal hostility' towards Osmanova.
Osmanova had recently beaten Abakarova in a regional contest, according to local reports which cited law enforcement.
She also allegedly accused Osmanova of being rude about her and her relatives behind her back.
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In the wake of the alleged poisoning, Abakarova was detained and is now facing charges of 'intentional infliction of bodily harm’.
Commenting on the incident, Sazhida Sazhidova, Minister of sport in Dagestan, said: "Like many others, I am perplexed by what happened, and the motives of such an experienced competitor as Amina Abakarova are incomprehensible.
“The actions she took could have led to a most tragic outcome, threatening the lives of everyone who was present, including herself. Now she must answer for what she did by the law.”
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In spite of the alleged attempts to thwart her, Osmanova continued to participate in the tournament and even managed to secure a prize.
The 30-year-old runs her own chess school, while Abakarova works as a chess coach and teaches at a school in Makhachkala.
Osmanova is now urging for 'maximum punishment' for Abakarova over the poisoning.
If convicted, Abakarova faces up to three years behind bars.
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Her friends have claimed her alleged behavior in the CCTV footage is 'completely out of character'.