Chess-Playing Robot Breaks 7-Year-Old Boy's Finger During Match In Russia

A robot broke a 7-year-old boy's finger while they were playing chess during a tournament in Moscow, Russian news agency TASS reported. 

"The robot broke the child's finger," Moscow Chess Federation President Sergei Lazarev told the outlet. "Of course, this is bad."

Moscow Chess Federation President Sergei Lazarev told the outlet that during a match at the Moscow Chess Open last Thursday, the young chess player made a move on the board and didn't give enough time for the robot to respond. The robot then grabbed his finger and broke it.

"The robot broke the child's finger," Lazarev said. "Of course, this is bad." 

Despite the injury, the young boy returned to finish. 

"The child played the very next day, finished the tournament in a cast and the volunteers helped to record the chess moves," Lazarev said. 

He also said the federation had rented the robot several times before without incident, but added that the organization itself has "nothing to do" with the robot's programming or operation.

"The robot operators, apparently, will have to think about strengthening protection so that this situation does not happen again," he said. 

Video from Russian news outlet Baza's Telegram channel showed people rushing in after the robot was seen squeezing the child's index finger. 

The was playing against two other young competitors during its match against the young boy, Baza said. 

First published on July 25, 2022 / 5:09 PM

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