Chess player allegedly caught cheating with phone in bathroom during tournament

Chess grandmaster Igors Rausis was allegedly caught looking at his phone during a bathroom break of a major tournament in France last weekend. The Latvian-Czech chess star was accused of cheating and suspended as a result.

The World Chess Federation said Friday that Rausis was “caught red-handed using his phone during a game.” 

Chess.com reported that the phone was found in a toilet that had just been used by Rausis, and according to The Daily Telegraph, a photo of him emerged looking at his phone in the bathroom. Phones are usually not allowed at chess tournaments because players can gain an unfair advantage by analyzing their moves. 

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“I simply lost my mind yesterday,” Rausis told Chess.com. “I confirmed the fact of using my phone during the game by written (statement). What could I say more? Yes, I was tired after the morning game and all the Facebook activity of accusers also have a known impact. At least what I committed yesterday is a good lesson, not for me — I played my last game of chess already.”

Rausis was a former Latvian champion who has represented Latvia, Bangladesh and the Czech Republic. Prior to the cheating scandal, Rausis became the oldest person to be ranked among the top 100 players worldwide, ranking No. 53 this month.

Federation Director-General Emil Sutovsky wrote on Facebook that Rausis had long been under suspicion for cheating and that catching him was “merely the first shot” in a years-long battle against cheating.

Tournament officials denied planting a camera in the bathroom and told The Washington Post the photo was submitted. The evidence against Rausis was sent to an ethics committee, and it was reported to French police.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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