Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Chinese chess player sues to reclaim title he lost for defecating in hotel bathtub

The complaint came one week after a social media post by the Chinese Xiangqi Association that described the drinking and defecation

Via AP news wire
Friday 05 January 2024 16:29 GMT
China Chinese Chess
China Chinese Chess (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A Chinese chess player says he has sued the national association in China for mental distress after he was stripped of a title for defecating in the bathtub of his hotel room at a recent competition.

Yan Chenglong doesn't deny what happened but wrote in a civil complaint this week that he drank a moderate amount of beer to celebrate his win with other players and that some food had caused stomach problems and he couldn't make it to the toilet in time.

The complaint came one week after a social media post by the Chinese Xiangqi Association that described the drinking and defecation.

It said an investigation had found that Yan damaged hotel property, violated public order and good behavior, and had a negative impact on the tournament.

Chinese chess, called xiangqi in Chinese, is a traditional board game that remains popular, particularly among older people. Neighborhood residents play in parks and along sidewalks, often with small crowds gathered around to watch.

Yan's complaint — which demands that the association apologize, restore his reputation in the media and pay him 100,000 yuan ($14,000) in damages — was mailed to a court in central China's Henan province on Monday, according to a post on Yan's social media account.

The post includes photos of the six pages of the complaint and an envelope with an express mail sticker addressed to a court in central China's Henan province.

Calls to the Chinese Xiangqi Association weren't answered on Thursday and Friday.

The chess association said in its post that it had also looked into reports that Yan had cheated during the tournament but was unable to confirm them.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in