Topline
Eight women—including three who were underage—accused renowned American chess player Alejandro Ramirez of sexual misconduct, allegations dating back more than a decade that chess officials were aware of for years, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, weeks after the first allegation against Ramirez publicly surfaced.
Costa Rican Alejandro Ramirez (15) on the first day of the Corus Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, … [+]
Key Facts
The Journal interviewed eight women who said 34-year-old Ramirez had used his power and influence to make repeated unwanted sexual advances toward them in incidents dating back to 2011, three of whom were under 18 when the alleged incidents occurred.
One of the accusers is Jennifer Shahade, who publicly accused Ramirez of assaulting her twice in a mid-February tweet, adding that she learned of multiple investigations currently underway into Ramiriez’s sexual misconduct—including alleged incidents that involved a minor.
Although Shahade and other survivors reported the allegations to organizations like the U.S. Chess Federation and the St. Louis Chess Club, those organizations did not thoroughly investigate, according to reporting from the Journal.
The St. Louis Chess Club and U.S. Chess Federation were reportedly informed, for example, about allegations involving a 15-year-old in 2021, but the U.S. Chess Federation still used him as a coach in a tournament a year later.
Ramirez resigned from his positions as a St. Louis Chess Club employee and St. Louis University chess coach Monday, after being on leave from his coaching job since Shahade’s allegations, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday.
Ramirez’s lawyer Al Watkins did not comment on the specific allegations but told Forbes “I’m under instructions to respect the integrity of the investigation being conducted” (he told the Journal, “Superimposing today’s mores on erroneous recitals of acts of yesteryear is a recipe for disaster for both the accused and the accuser”).
U.S Chess Federation spokesperson Daniel Lucas told Forbes the organization has no further comment than the organization’s February 15 statement, which acknowledged an investigation and came the same day as Shahade’s tweet.
The St Louis Chess Club told the Post-Dispatch it is also reviewing the allegations.
Key Background
Ramirez has spent his career as a player, coach and commentator in chess tournaments around the world. He became a grandmaster, the highest title a chess player can attain, in 2004, according to the International Chess Federation. In recent years, Ramirez was an employee of the influential St. Louis Chess Club and coached the Saint Louis University chess team, the Post-Dispatch reported.
Surprising Fact
St. Louis has become an epicenter for chess over the last few years, with many referring to the Missouri city as the chess capital of the world after philanthropist Rex Sinquefield invested millions of dollars to bring the game to his hometown. In 2008, Sinquefield founded the Saint Louis Chess Club, a 6,000-square-foot center which includes a hall for tournaments, classrooms and a library. Just last year, the U.S. Chess Federation announced it was moving its headquarters to St. Louis.
Tangent
Last year, the chess world was plagued by a cheating scandal, after an investigation by online platform Chess.com found that Hans Nieman, a 19-year-old American grandmaster, “likely cheated” more than 100 times. The investigation, seen by the Journal, found that Nieman wasn’t alone as dozens of chess grandmasters have also been caught cheating. Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen publicly accused Nieman of cheating last year, after suddenly leaving a match against Nieman after just one move.
Further Reading
How Sexual Assault Allegations Against A U.S. Chess Grandmaster Went Unaddressed For Years (Wall Street Journal)
SLU Chess Coach Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Resigns (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Grandmaster At Center Of Chess World Scandal Likely Cheated More Than 100 Times, Investigation Finds (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/03/07/eight-women-accuse-chess-grandmaster-ramirez-of-sexual-misconduct-report-says/