Gaioz Nigalidze ( ka, გაიოზ ნიგალიძე; born 24 April 1989) is a Georgian
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
player. He was awarded the title
International Master
FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combinatio ...
by
FIDE
The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( Fédération Internationale des Échecs), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national c ...
in 2009. In 2014, he was also awarded the title
Grandmaster, but it was revoked in 2015 for cheating using electronic devices that were hidden in a bathroom.
Career
Nigalidze won the
Georgian Chess Championship Following are the official winners of the national Georgian Chess Championships from 1928 to date. Until 1990 the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic was a republic within the Soviet Union.
Winners
References
List of winners 1928-2008 in 2013 and 2014. He played on the Georgian national team at the
European Team Chess Championship
The European Team Championship (often abbreviated in texts and games databases as ''ETC'') is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of European nations whose chess federations are located in zones 1.1 to 1.9. This more ...
in 2013 and at the
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams representing nations of the world compete. FIDE organises the tournament and selects the host nation. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE held an Online Chess Olympiad in 2020 and ...
in 2014.
2015 Dubai Open incident
Nigalidze drew attention to himself by cheating at the 2015 Dubai Open.
Tigran L. Petrosian, his opponent in the 6th round, complained that Nigalidze had been routinely going to the bathroom during the game in a crucial position. Petrosian had also previously been suspicious of Nigalidze for similar practice when he won in Al Ain in December 2014. He complained to Chief Arbiter Mahdi Abdul Rahim that it was unusual as he was always going to the same stall. After checking the bathroom stall, a
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
as well as a
headset was found hidden behind a pan and beneath some toilet paper.
While Nigalizde originally denied owning the devices, the smart phone was logged into one of his social networking accounts and his current position was displayed on a program. He was expelled from the tournament. The rules of FIDE strictly prohibit players from using electronic devices capable of communication or analysis during a game, with bans of up to 3 years for a first offence and up to 15 years for a repeat offence. He was subsequently banned for 3 years (until September 2018) and his grandmaster title was revoked.
His previous tournaments were also investigated.
See also
*
Cheating in chess
Cheating in chess is a deliberate violation of the rules of chess or other behaviour that is intended to give an unfair advantage to a player or team. Cheating can occur in many forms and can take place before, during, or after a game. Commonly c ...
References
External links
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1989 births
Living people
Chess players from Georgia (country)
Chess International Masters
Banned sportspeople
Cheating in chess
Place of birth missing (living people)
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