August 14, 2024

The Dagestani Gambit


The Dagestani Gambit
Was it the right strategic decision? Probably not. Aaaatu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A chess champion from Dagestan, Amina Abakarova, reportedly spilled liquid mercury on the chessboard of her opponent, Umayganat Osmanova. The incident is being investigated as a deliberate poisoning to kill a rival.

Soon after the spill, Osmanova fell ill. An ambulance was called for her, and her doctors later argued that her condition could be a result of mercury poisoning.

Security camera footage shows Abakarova spilling an unknown substance onto Osmanova's table. Abakarova also reportedly told other chess players that she planned to poison Osmanova out of revenge after losing a match to her in July.

Abakarova faces lifelong expulsion from the North Caucasus Federal District Chess Championship and criminal prosecution. 

Or perhaps recruitment into the FSB.

You Might Also Like

Russia's Predicted Gambit
  • February 16, 2023

Russia's Predicted Gambit

The Chess Federation of Russia is leaving the European Chess Union, seeking "higher" competition. 
Smoking Underpants
  • December 22, 2020

Smoking Underpants

In an astonishingly brazen operation, opposition politician Alexey Navalny pulled the ultimate punk on FSB operative Konstantin Kudryavtsev, who allegedly tried to kill him.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955