There’s the drive to win, and then there’s an unhealthy competitive streak. I think she should get more time, personally. (Where do I find these weird stories?)
Mercury?
That’s ridiculous. Mercury doesn’t smear, and it’s a cumulative, not acute poison. That article is either wrong or a fake.
Are mercury fumes a thing? Could that have caused sickness?
Sure, and in 10 years you will exhibit neurological symptoms.
I think its more likely misunderstanding and misinformation. Elemental mercury is not as fast acting or as ‘deadly’ as reported. However, mercuric compounds can be deadly, though I don’t know how ‘fast acting.’ Also the perpetrator has to be careful handling these things.
I’m definitely in the camp that the reporting is wrong on some level, and there is something else going on that we are not privy to.
If this story is legit, Law and Order will be making an episode about it–that is totally “fictional and not based on reality” or however they put it–this season.
Or that woman had no idea what she was doing…
Maybe she’s just a really incompetent poisoner. She thought that she’d be able to sicken her opponent this way, even though it wouldn’t actually work.
Though the other person did report some symptoms. As did another, according to the story.
It worked in The Handmaiden…
Meh. This is the Russian Chess Federation reporting this. It’s probably a frame-up for some political reason.
That did not occur to me. I guess I need to be more careful.
Whatever poison was used, her falling out the window was completely unrelated.
Many among us on this board played with liquid mercury as children, rolling it around in our hands. It would be insufficient to sicken someone this quickly.
Ars Technica has pretty good coverage of the ins+outs of this one.
So, I don’t know how she may have breathed it. But it seems that she experienced symptoms that would match inhalation.
That certainly explains some things……
I’m kidding, couldn’t resist.
Posted in the Omnibus chess thread:
Brian
Ditto. Even if Amina is an idiot and chose Mercury as her poison, it wouldn’t produce that kind of immediate effect. Perhaps they got the Mercury thing wrong or perhaps, as mentioned, it is a hoax.
But the chess tournament has a new theme song!
I’d also accept this old banger.
