China
Yan Chenglong crowned ‘King Xiangqi’ but took the celebrations too far, as ruling body also investigates whether he cheated by using anal beads
France-Press Agency
Wednesday 27 Dec 2023 09:19 AEDT
The Chinese chess world is in turmoil over rumors of cheating and a misconduct scandal that saw the national champion stripped of his title on Monday after a victory celebration ended with him defecating in a hotel bathtub .
Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, has been extremely popular for hundreds of years across Asia – and 48-year-old Yan Chenglong beat dozens of contenders last week to win the title of “King Xiangqi” in a national tournament hosted by the Chinese Chess Association Xiangqi.
But his joy was short-lived, with the CXA announcing on Monday that Yan would have his title revoked and his prize money confiscated after he was caught “disturbing public order” and displaying “a extremely bad.”
The association was also forced to respond to rumors circulating online that Yan cheated during the competition by using anal beads equipped with wireless transmitters to send and receive signals.
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Yan would rhythmically clench and unclench to communicate information about the board via code to a computer, which would then send instructions on what moves to make in the form of vibrations, according to the Chinese social media site Weibo.
“Based on our understanding of the situation, it is currently impossible to prove that Yan committed cheating via ‘anal beads’, as speculated on social media,” the CXA said.
But he was still stripped of his title and banned from playing for a year after his celebrations went awry.
“Yan consumed alcohol with others in his room on the night of the 17th, and then 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 Xiangqi competition and event, and had an extremely negative character,” the association said.
The association did not disclose the amount of prize money Yan would give up, but Xiangqi tournaments often promise winners tens of thousands of yuan (thousands of dollars).
CXA released a social media post last week congratulating Yan and other players for their “high-level, spectacularly heated gameplay.”
The post included a photo of Yan on stage, flanked by two runners-up, proudly displaying his award certificate.
2023-12-27 13:42:00
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