MOSCOW, August 7. /TASS/. The Russian Chess Federation (RCF) is considering a lifetime ban for a female chess player who allegedly attempted to poison her opponent at a tournament in Dagestan’s Makhachkala, RCF Executive Director Alexander Tkachyov told TASS on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Telegram channel Baza reported that during the chess tournament in Makhachkala someone attempted to poison player Umaiganat Osmanova by spilling drops of mercury near her chessboard. As a result, Osmanova felt sick.

"We are waiting for the investigation from law enforcement bodies," Tkachyov said. "If the other chess player is found guilty, our [RCF] reaction will be stiff, possibly a lifetime ban."

The RCF executive added that the federation is deeply disappointed by the incident.

"We regret that such an incident took place at a chess tournament," Tkachyov said. "We have no doubt that law enforcement bodies will get to the bottom of the incident and we wish the injured player a quick recovery and that she is back at a chessboard as soon as possible."

Sazhid Sazhidov, the president of the Russian Republic of Dagestan for Physical Culture and Sports, confirmed that a chess player did indeed try to poison her opponent with a mercury mixture.

"We have video proof showing that one of the players at the Dagestani chess championship, Amina Abakarova from the city of Makhachkala, applied an unidentified substance, which later turned out to contain mercury, to the table where Umaiganat Osmanova from the city of Kaspiisk was set to play against her," Sazhidov stressed.