A tragicomic news, but which certainly reveals a lot about the safe use of technology. During the Moscow Chess Openwhich took place from 13 to 21 July in Moscow, a child suffered a broken finger during a game of chess against a robot.
The robot had just taken a piece from the child when the boy rushed to make the next move. A gesture contrary to the safety rules of the event. In fact, the robot had not finished his shift and in completing his move he crushed the child’s finger, causing a fracture. The car is designed exclusively for moving chess piecesand did not recognize the child’s hand on the board.
According to reports from the Russian news agency TASS, the child’s parents will file a complaint.
The video of the incident: a robot crushes a child’s finger during a game of chess
A video of the incident, taken by security cameras in the gaming room, is now making its way around the net. In the video, which lasts just under 30 seconds, it shows the boy moving his piece before the robot has finished his turn. The machine then traps the child’s finger, just before this is rescued by the staff of the event. According to the Russian press, the child suffered a fracture.
WARNING: GRAPHIC ⚠️ A chess-playing robot grabs a 7-year-old’s finger during a match at the Moscow Open and breaks it pic.twitter.com/I95VYwjk3S
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) July 24, 2022
Sergey Lazarev, President of the Moscow Chess Federation, reconstructed what happened by declaring: “The child made his move, after which we must give the robot time to respond, but the boy hurried, and the robot grabbed him.” Lazarev clarifies the position of the Moscow Chess Federation: “We have nothing to do with the robot, we have hired it”.
In the meantime, if you want to play chess safely, we recommend the new Netflix game inspired by The Queen of Chess.