The Spanish Team Championships are currently ongoing. During the competition, there has been an unfortunate event that has taken place. A cheating scandal rocked the chess world on Monday. Ukraine-born GM Kirill Shevchenko has been suspected of cheating during the competition. There has been a phone found in the washroom which is reportedly believed to be his. His regular absence from the board aroused suspicion in round two a locked phone was found in the toilet.
However, he has not been found guilty as of now. The FIDE Ethics Commission is investigating the matter. If found guilty this could be an unusual case of a top-ranked player (consistently in the top 100 and top 50) found cheating. Shevchenko, who became a Grandmaster at the age of 14 years and 9 months currently represents Romania.
He was sanctioned when Francisco Vallejo. During his Round 2 opponent in the Spanish Team Championship Honour Division in Melilla, reported that he had been gone from the board for too long. The Romanian reportedly stated that he was visiting the restroom because he was feeling ill. Other players and members of the organising committee also noted his unusual restroom visits. After a search, a phone was discovered and confiscated.
Kirill Shevchenko’s career hung by a thread
Will Kirill Shevchenko’s career come to an end if found guilty? There has been no official confirmation about him being at fault. However, the FIDE will decide his future if he is found at fault. They found in the handwriting and ink used on the note and Shevchenko’s scoresheets for rounds one and two and the confiscated phone’s time zone was supposedly set to an hour ahead of that of Spain which is practically the time of Romania.
So far the 22-year-old grandmaster has denied all the charges against him. Chief Arbiter Oscar Bruno de Prado Rodriguez summarized his decision, he stated, “To expel Kiriil Shevchenko from the competition as it is considered a very serious infringement based on article 19.9.9. A complete report, with all the evidence, will be submitted to the FEDA Technical Committee of Arbiters and the FIDE Ethics Committee.”
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