icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
12 Oct, 2020 17:47

'Everyone could have recognized me': Chess grandmaster who was banned for cheating is 'caught competing AGAIN under new name'

'Everyone could have recognized me': Chess grandmaster who was banned for cheating is 'caught competing AGAIN under new name'

Disgraced chess player Igors Rausis, who was banned from all FIDE-rated tournaments for cheating in 2019, has reportedly found a loophole allowing him to compete again, entering a contest in Latvia under a different name.

The 59-year-old, who was stripped of his grandmaster title last year after being caught using a phone during a chess tournament in France, is said to have shown up at a local rapid tournament in Latvia on Saturday.

READ MORE: Fast chess in the air: Russian grandmasters are set to play blitz game while flying in different planes

Rausis – playing under the name Isa Kasimi – purportedly wore a face mask in order to remain unrecognized. But he was forced to withdraw from the third round after Latvian grandmaster Arturs Neiksans, who had noticed him playing, filed a protest.

Neiksans believed Kasimi was trying to hide his identity, but the player denied this, pointing out that he is a well-known figure in Latvia.

I am a well-known figure in Latvian chess. Everyone could have recognized me already during the first round. Besides, I had already played two earlier tournaments, one Fischer random and one ‘dice chess’, under my new name,” Kasimi said.

Neiksans’ complaint was not upheld, as the rapid tournament was not officiated by FIDE, the body which banned Kasimi from playing. An infuriated Neiksans, who was a heavy favorite to win the small event, continued to protest until Kasimi withdrew from the competition.

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57