Smartphone Hidden in Bathroom Gets Chess Grandmaster Booted From Tournament
Gaioz Nigalidze allegedly made his worst career move ever during a match.
— -- You could say he pulled a George Costanza.
The Seinfeld character who famously took a coffee table book into a bathroom at a bookstore and on another occasion passed an IQ test out the window to cheat would surely admire the alleged ingenuity of a Georgian chess player.
Gaioz Nigalidze, 26, and a grandmaster from the country of Georgia, aroused suspicion by "oddly frequenting the toilet" after key moves during the sixth round of a tournament in Dubai, according to a statement today from the World Chess Federation.
Officials said they did not find a device on Nigalidze when he was initially searched. However, a smartphone and a headset wrapped in toilet paper were later located in a bathroom stall.
Nigalidze denied the smartphone belonged to him, according to the statement, however officials said when they opened the phone it was logged into a social networking site under the grandmaster's name.
The ultimate check mate came when officials said they also discovered a chess application was open and appeared to be used to analyze his game.
The Georgian was removed from the tournament and the matter has now been referred to the International Chess Federation's anti-cheating commission, which could potentially slap Nigalidze with a three-year ban.