Chess is often viewed as a serious game of logic, played in quiet concentration—but did you know that a lot of shocking incidents have also occurred over the chessboard?
Here are some of the most outrageous things top chess players have fought over!
1. Yogurt
Two of the greatest chess champions of all time—Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov—bickered over a blueberry yogurt sent during a world championship match game, arguing that the flavor could be a subtle signal from the player’s team to play a certain move, adjust his playing style, or single out critical game moments.
And that’s not all! During this very same match, the players also demanded that a chair be dismantled and x-rayed to check for illicit devices. Korchnoi also accused Karpov of inviting a hypnotist to sit in the front row and interfere with Korchnoi’s brainwaves! (Karpov really did invite the hypnotist to sit in the front row, but whether there was brainwave interference remains unclear!) 🔮
2. Jeans
Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top player, stormed out of a World Rapid Championship, forfeiting his world title, after being notified mid-tournament that he would have to change his luxury Italian jeans into more formal slacks in order to comply with the official tournament dress code.
Afterwards, he auctioned off his now-famous pants online for $36,100, donating the proceeds to charity.
3. A volcano
After a volcano erupted in Iceland in 2010, sending ash across Europe and grounding flights all across the continent, Viswanathan Anand (the returning world champion) almost didn’t make it to the world championship in time to compete.
Chess officials denied Anand’s request for a postponement, forcing him to embark on a 40-hour road trip across Europe, dodging countries he didn’t have a visa for. Talk about perseverance!
4. Bathroom breaks
During the 2006 World Chess Championship, Veselin Topalov accused Vladimir Kramnik of using a computer in the restroom in order to cheat (It was the only location without video surveillance!) Despite not having proof, Topalov claimed that Kramnik had used the restroom over 50 times during a game, and he demanded that the organizers take apart the bathroom to investigate.
They did so, and only two ordinary network cables were found in the ceiling—normal for any building. In the end, Topalov’s protests were futile, and he ended up losing the match.
5. A cheating device in a shoe
Borislav Ivanov, a relatively high-ranking player, was accused of cheating through a device in his shoes, after suddenly having a huge performance increase against higher-rated opponents while simultaneously being spotted wearing large sneakers and walking strangely—except during the soccer games he played over the course of the tournament when he was between chess matches. When asked to remove his shoes by tournament organizers, Ivanov steadfastly refused to do so, protesting that his socks smelled.Officials didn’t find his story convincing, and instead he forfeited the game and was eventually banned from competitive play. After an early retirement from chess, he later ended up arrested in his home country for forging documents.
6. Defamation
After losing a game to Hans Niemann, the lowest-ranked player in a tournament, the world’s top player, Magnus Carlsen, publicly accused him of cheating. This led a chess website to conduct an investigation into the lower-ranking player’s account on the site. He was found guilty of cheating, and he countered with a $100 million defamation lawsuit. Despite concrete proof of cheating on prior occasions, the lawsuit was eventually dismissed, and both players made peace.
Competition—and creativity—on and off the board!
Never underestimate the imagination of a chess player, both on and off the chessboard! Chess builds creativity—and the 64 squares hold a world of possibilities.