Bizarre, International, Torts

Bust and Bye: Georgian National Champion Banned From Chess Competitions For 15 Years After Smartphone Is Found In Bathroom Stall

277F211300000578-0-image-m-33_1428865661214It was five years ago that the puzzle world was rocked by a Sudoko cheating scandal. Now the chess world has faced its own scandal with the effective banishment of Georgian champ Gaioz Nigalidze, who was found to have secreted a smartphone in a toilet to cheat during an international tournament. This brings a new meaning to the chess terms of a “bust” and a “bye.”


Nigalidze, the two-time national champion, was given a 15-year suspension after the discovery at the Dubai Open Chess tournament discovery. His opponent lodged a complaint during the tournament that he was suspicious about all of the bathroom breaks before moves. The officials investigated and found a mobile phone in a cubicle, covered in toilet paper. The mobile phone had headphones and Nigalidze is believed to have been using a chess App to figure out his next move.

This is not the first such case. In July 2013, Bulgarian player Borislav Ivanov was suspended after his moves matched those of a computer chess program. However, he was only given a four-month suspension. IN 2008, an Iranian player was banned for received text messages with moves. In 1999, three French players were suspended for sending text messages with moves and coded signals to win the 2010 Chess Olympiad.

Nigalidze’s opponent, Armenian Grandmaster Tigran Petrosian, was declared the winner.

What is interesting is the lack of any legal action in such cases. Obviously if there were untrue, Nigalidze would likely sue for defamation, which he has notably not threatened. Conversely, it is interesting that the competition does not try to recoup expenses from such a player who effectively destroys a competition and forced a default.

17 thoughts on “Bust and Bye: Georgian National Champion Banned From Chess Competitions For 15 Years After Smartphone Is Found In Bathroom Stall”

  1. Before the internet and supercomputers it was impossible to cheat at chess. What could you do, hide a chess book in the bathroom? Anyway, its a crazy way to cheat, because how many times can you go the bathroom and not raise suspicions – which is how this guy got caught.

    1. rcocean – you should check out the wikipedia article on cheating in chess for the variety of ways to cheat. Although this guy is banned for 15 years, a guy a little way back got banned for 10 years.

  4. Oh goodness, the things people will do to win. Reminds me of Harry Reid. This guy was obviously an inexperienced cheater. Anyway. this calls for an Irish Poem!

    Rookies???
    An Irish Poem by Squeeky Fromm

    Poor Nigalidze went to the throne,
    Expecting that he’d be alone.
    His app said to “castle”,
    But oh, what a hassle- – –
    When the judges discovered the phone!

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    1. Squeeky – it is easier to just tip over the board when you are losing and go Oops! However, in chess they know where all the damn pieces go back,:)

  5. I play and follow the game of chess fairly closely. Not that long ago in 1996-1997 you had the famous match Deep Blue v Kasparov with the computer beating world Champion Kasparov in the second match.

    Nowadays you can get a chess computer on your smart phone that is BETTER than Deep Blue. Needless to say it has spawned numerous cheating and alleged cheating incidents.

    Technology changes so quickly but human nature never changes.

  6. Isaac, If you haven’t see it, the HBO doc, Bobby Fischer Against the World, I would suggest you do. A tortured genius.

  9. Yeah, dear but not deer. Jeso BitchinDog, this guy is from that other Georgia over by Russia.

  10. Is he from Atlanta? He looks like an Atlanta kind of guy. Georgia does not get in the news anywhere near as much as Florida and yet it is near. Near but not dear.

  11. Make em pee in a bag on site. Kinda like those guys who take the floor of the House and Senate and yak for days. They bust em in Philly for this.

  14. Bobby Fisher started this with his ‘chair’ routine. They should layer some other stuff on these tournaments: three legged race, mud wrestling, etc. How could someone supposedly smart enough to get that far be so stupid to go for a whiz before moves and not expect to get caught? Well at least he’s not a cop.

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