A 25-year-old chess player from Kenya managed to cheat his way through his country’s Women’s Open chess tournament. Fraudster Stanley Omondi confessed to the fraud and said it was motivated by financial need.
The man hid his identity by wearing a burqa and glasses. According to JEE News, Stanley Omondi registered himself as Millicent Over. However, the player’s cover was blown after the tournament staff became suspicious of the player’s success.
According to JEE News, organizers initially hesitated to intervene and decided to investigate after the fourth round. He was taken to a private room and asked for identification, eventually revealing the truth that he was a university student suffering from financial difficulties.
“It was due to financial needs but I deeply regret my action and am ready to accept all the consequences,” he wrote in a letter.
The fake player with an international classical rating of around 1500 and a blitz rating of around 1750 has been banned from the tournament pending disciplinary action. As JEE News reports, the points he scored were reversed and awarded to his opponents.
The Kenya Open, which was held last week, is an annual tournament in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. According to JEE News, this year’s edition attracted more than 400 athletes from 22 countries.
