Indian Grandmaster SL Narayanan, who is currently competing in the Bundesliga chess league in Germany, stated that he felt ‘humiliated’ after being asked to stand barefooted in the playing arena.
The incident took place on Sunday, 27 November, when Narayanan was playing against Czech Republic’s David Navara. According to his statement, the 24-year-old from Kerala was picked for a random check by an arbiter.
Following the beeping of the metal detector, Narayan was asked to remove his shoes and socks, and another player had to undergo the same ordeal until it was discovered that the sound was triggered by the floor.
Explaining what he had to go through, Narayanan wrote on Twitter “Today I felt humiliated. And if I prefer to remain silent about it, I’ll not be doing justice to myself and other sportspersons who go through similar experiences.”
“Before the first round, I was one of the 5 players picked by the arbiter for a random check. During the check with a metal detector, there was a beep sound. So, I was told to remove my shoes and they checked again. Beep. Now, I was told to remove my socks. The arbiter then ran the metal detector on my naked foot and we heard the beep again. All this happened in the middle of the playing hall. I held a sock and stood with a bare left foot. Imagine how I might have felt,” he further explained.
Security Checks Amplified After Cheating Allegations Against Hans Niemann
Narayanan, who eventually ended up losing his game against Navara, stated that through the arbiter apologised, the entire experience was embarrassing for him. “The arbiter apologised to me. But I must say how embarrassing it was. And mind you, this happened just minutes before my round,” India’s 41st GM wrote.
Security checks have been amplified at all over-the-board chess events after reigning world champions Magnus Carlsen brought cheating allegations against teenage American grandmaster, Hans Niemann. In an event back in October, the 19-year-old carried a banana at the Saint Louis Chess Club, which also had to go through a metal detector check.
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