Robots are wonderful inventions that help us in many ways. They help with manufacturing, transportation, assembly and packing, surgery, and many other things. Sometimes, they were also employed as opponents against humans in board games. In this unfortunate case, a game of chess.
In a news article by PC Gamer, at the Moscow Chess Open, which was held in Moscow from 13 July to 21 July, a 7-year-old chess player had his finger smashed by a robot. The junior chess player from the Moscow Chess Federation had just lost a piece to the robot and was scrambling to make his next move.
Evidently, that was against the safety regulations. His finger fractured when the robot moved in and crushed it, either because it hadn’t finished moving or because it misinterpreted the circumstances. The child was able to complete the tournament’s final few days while wearing a cast, but it has been claimed that his parents have contacted the local prosecutor’s office to file charges.
According to the footage, the child apparently trapped his finger when he moved his piece before the Robot had finished moving its own. The boy’s hand is quickly released and he is taken away by multiple men after a flurry of onlookers rushed to help.
The robot broke the child’s finger – this, of course, is bad. The robot was rented by us, it has been exhibited in many places, for a long time, with specialists. Apparently, the operators overlooked it.
The child made a move, and after that we need to give time for the robot to answer, but the boy hurried, and the robot grabbed him. We have nothing to do with the robot.
Moscow Chess Federation, President, Sergey Lazarev
The robot has been playing chess for almost 15 years, according to Sergey Smagin, a deputy of the Moscow Chess Federation. He said that it was a very rare instance and that it had never happened before.
We wish the best for the boy and hope he recovers soon.