Russia

Chess-Playing Robot Breaks 7-Year-Old Opponent's Finger at Moscow Tournament

The incident at last week's Moscow Chess Open tournament happened after the boy hurried the artificial intelligence-powered robot, the federation's president said

Getty Images

Are robots already starting to turn on humans?

A chess-playing robot grabbed the finger of its seven-year-old opponent and broke it during last week's Moscow Chess Open tournament, Russian media reported Monday.

“The robot broke the child’s finger,” Sergei Lazarev, President of the Moscow Chess Federation, told the Russian TASS agency. “Of course, this is bad.”

Surveillance video of the incident shared on social media shows the robot taking one of the boy’s pieces, and then grabbing his finger as he attempts to make a move.

Four adults then rush in, struggling to free the boy before leading him away from the chessboard.

Lazarev said the chess federation had rented the robot that appeared in many previous events without incident.

“The child made a move, and after that it is necessary to give time for the robot’s response, but the boy hurried, the robot grabbed him,” Lazarev told Tass on Thursday.

He said the boy was able to play again the next day and finished the tournament with his finger in a cast.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us