Romania’s Paul-Stelian Mihalache, who has a FIDE rating of 1698, was expelled from the Romanian Chess Championship after a mobile phone was found in the toilet.
Mihalache looked suspicious in his behaviour, including frequent visits to the restroom during the fifth round of the Romanian Championship in Sebes.
An arbiter decided to check the bathroom after one of Mihalache’s multiple visits and found smart phone in one of the toilet cubicles. The unlocked phone had three chess apps open with Mihalache’s 15 moves as well as had
Mihalache’s Google account and email address.
Mihalache was searched in a separate room from the playing area after the phone was found even though a special anti-cheating officer had been doing random checks before and during the matches on players using metal detectors.
When Mihalache was confronted about the phone and it’s content, the Romanian denied any part.
The matter has been brought to the notice of the FIDE’s disciplinary commission, as Mihalache may face a considerable ban.
This is not the first time that something like this happened in Ches with Georgian Gaioz Nigalidze lost his grandmaster title after he found using found using iPod at the Dubai Open in 2015.
Back in September of last year, World Champion Magnus Carlsen had accused fellow player Hans Niemann of cheating.
“I believe that cheating in chess is a big deal and an existential threat to the game. I also believe that chess organizers and all those who care about the sanctity of the game we love should seriously consider increasing security measures and methods of cheat detection for over the board chess,” he had said.
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