Hikaru Nakamura has criticised FIDE’s anti-cheating measures at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, calling them excessive and unnecessary. Comparing the strict scans to treating players like “Mossad agents in Iran”, he said cheating concerns at elite events are overblown.

New Delhi, Apr 2: American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has slammed the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for its stringent anti-cheating measures at the ongoing Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, calling them "complete nonsense".

The world number two expressed his frustration when asked about the anti-cheating measures at the elite tournament to determine D Gukesh’s challenger for the world championship later this year.

Nakamura criticises stringent anti-cheating measures

He said the scanners and machines around the playing area have made the players feel like Mossad (Israeli intelligence) agents operating inside Iran.