Chinese chess rocked by cheating rumours, bad behaviour scandal
SHANGHAI – The world of Chinese chess is in uproar over rumours of cheating and a bad behaviour scandal that saw the national champion stripped of his title on Dec 25 after a victory celebration ended with him defecating in a hotel bathtub.
Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, has been hugely popular for hundreds of years across Asia – and Yan Chenglong beat dozens of contenders last week to win the title of “Xiangqi King” at a national tournament hosted by the Chinese Xiangqi Association (CXA).
But his joy was short-lived, with the CXA announcing on Dec 25 that Yan would have his title revoked and prize money confiscated after he had been caught “disrupting public order” and displaying “extremely bad character”.
The association was also forced to address rumours circulating online that Yan had cheated during the competition by using anal beads equipped with wireless transmitters to receive signals.
“Based on our understanding of the situation, it is currently impossible to prove that Yan engaged in cheating via ‘anal beads’ as speculated on social media,” the CXA said.
However, he was still stripped of his title and banned from playing for a year after his celebrations went wayward.
“Yan consumed alcohol with others in his room on the night of the 17th, and then he defecated in the bathtub of the room he was staying in on the 18th, in an act that damaged hotel property, violated public order and good morals, had a negative impact on the competition and the event of xiangqi, and was of extremely bad character,” the association said in a statement.
The association did not disclose the amount of prize money Yan was forfeiting, but xiangqi tournaments often promise winners tens of thousands of yuan (thousands of dollars).
This was not the first time that there are cheating allegations in chess. In international chess, American Hans Niemann has also been accused of cheating and using anal beads – a vibrating, remotely controlled sex toy – to gain an advantage by getting an accomplice to buzz the device as a guide for making better moves. – AFP
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