The Great Chess Doping Scandal

Posted by Alex in Crime & Law, Sports on December 31, 2008 at 2:06 am


Sad as it is, doping is so prevalent in sports that it comes to no surprise when an athlete is busted … but chess? CHESS? Yes, folks, here’s the Great Chess Doping Scandal of grandmaster Vassily Ivanchuk, ranked third of the world:

Who knows what was going through Ivanchuk’s head when, on Nov. 25 in Dresden, the last day of the Chess Olympiad, he lost to Gata Kamsky? What we do know, however, is that when the game against the American ended, a judge asked Ivanchuk to submit to a drug test. Instead, he stormed out of the room in the conference center, kicked a concrete pillar in the lobby, pounded a countertop in the cafeteria with his fists and then vanished into the coatroom. Throughout this performance, he was followed by a handful of officials.

No one could convince Ivanchuk to provide a small amount of urine for the test. And because refusal is treated as a positive test result, he is now considered guilty of doping and could be barred from professional chess for two years.

Link – via Znaniye

Photo: erral [Flickr]


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9 comments to "The Great Chess Doping Scandal"

  1. Jerse
    December 31st, 2008 at 9:48 am

    Yeah, I mean - those chess pieces are really heavy sometimes...

  2. Leif
    December 31st, 2008 at 10:42 am

    What kind of dope are we talking about?

  3. Gauldar
    December 31st, 2008 at 12:08 pm

    He refused to take the drug test so tabloids can say that he had Ketamine, HIV medications and pez in his bloodstream. Don't want to give an answer? No problem, lets just make one up!

  4. Canucknuckle Head
    December 31st, 2008 at 7:15 pm

    Drugs have been used for many years in competitive chess. Most are intended to keep the contestant more alert over long periods of time. Me, I just stick with Red Bull.

  5. ted
    December 31st, 2008 at 8:16 pm

    Sounds kinda dumb. It's a wonder Rocky Rook hasn't weighed in on this.

  6. Shurik
    December 31st, 2008 at 8:34 pm

    I guess everyone should be treated like an addict unless they prove otherwise. Clearly hes cracked out and on crystal if hes refusing to submit a drug test.

  7. liphttam1
    January 1st, 2009 at 1:50 am

    I think that somebody did that to make him loose. They new he did the drug so they told officails so he would loose.

  8. ted
    January 1st, 2009 at 6:17 pm

    He would loose? Why not just spell it looze?

  9. violet
    January 2nd, 2009 at 1:30 am

    thank you ted. that one hurt me so deep.


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