There seems to be a Jason Kidd/Jimmy Jackson situtation developing in the high-testosterone world of chess. From the Sydney Morning Herald’s Jano Gibson.

There’s making moves in chess and making moves in night clubs – and you wouldn’t think the two would involve the same players.

Think again. To the staid world of chess comes … Gormallygate.

And at the centre of it is teenage Australian chess champion Arianne Caoili, dubbed “the Anna Kournikova of chess”.


British chess grandmaster Danny Gormally (above) had reportedly been seeing and emailing her.

But when he saw her dancing with the world’s No. 3 player, Armenia’s Levon Aronian, in a Turin nightclub during the World Chess Olympiad he made a move with his fist.

Her mother, Annette, told smh.com.au Arianne was “totally surprised” when Gormally punched Aronian.

“She’s salsa crazy and was probably dancing salsa and looking a bit sexy and that’s why [Gormally] got upset,” she said.

“It could be jealousy or it could be that he was just a bit drunk and for whatever reason [he] decided to punch Aronian who happens to be the superstar and god-like figure in Armenia.”