In brief
Kirill Shevchenko, a 22-year-old Ukrainian grandmaster representing Romania, has been disqualified from a team chess championship in Spain after a mobile phone was discovered in a bathroom stall he used during the tournament, raising concerns of potential cheating via computer assistance.
In a dramatic turn of events at a chess championship in Spain, grandmaster Kirill Shevchenko has been disqualified due to accusations of using a mobile phone to access assistance during matches. The incident occurred after officials discovered a phone in the bathroom stall that Shevchenko had frequented during the tournament.Shevchenko, 22, who competes for Romania, had been observed taking unusually long bathroom breaks, fueling suspicions among tournament officials. The phone found in the stall carried a note stating, “Don’t touch! This telephone has been left so the owner can answer it at night!” This note’s handwriting matched Shevchenko’s style, and investigators noted similarities between the ink used and that of a pen he had on him.Adding to the string of suspicious findings, another phone had been recovered by a cleaner the day before in the same restroom, which was subsequently handed over to organizers. Eyewitness accounts of Shevchenko’s rapid move decisions upon returning from these breaks further contributed to the serious allegations against him.The chief arbiter of the tournament, Oscar Bruno de Prado Rodriguez, confirmed the disqualification, marking a significant moment within the competitive chess community as it deals with ongoing concerns regarding technology-assisted cheating.
