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Chess grandmaster Alejandro Ramírez is charged with sexual misconduct after the two-time US women’s chess champion featured a Twitter post titled ‘time’s up’
- A Costa Rican-American grandmaster has been accused of sexual misconduct
- Among the allegations are claims that he assaulted a US women’s chess champion.
- The US Chess Federation and the Saint Louis Chess Club are investigating
A chess grandmaster has been accused of sexually assaulting a US chess champion after multiple misconduct allegations were brought against him.
Alejandro Ramírez, 34, is under investigation by US Chess and the Saint Louis Chess Club following a series of alleged incidents, including at least one involving a minor, according to chess.com.
Women’s great teacher Jennifer Shahade, 42, took to Twitter on Wednesday to say that Ramirez had sexually assaulted her twice in the past decade.
Ramírez is a Costa Rican-American chess grandmaster, coach, and commentator. Shahade is a two-time US Women’s Chess Championship winner, in 2002 and 2004, and is also a professional poker player.
Alejandro Ramírez, 34, is under investigation by US Chess and the Saint Louis Chess Club following a series of alleged incidents, including at least one involving a minor.
Jennifer Shahade, 42, is a two-time US Women’s Chess Championship winner, in 2002 and 2004, and is also a professional poker player.
“Currently, there are multiple ongoing investigations into Alejandro Ramírez and sexual misconduct, including a series of alleged incidents involving a minor,” he explained. I was mugged by him twice, nine and ten years ago.
“I had moved on until a couple of years ago, when several women, independent of each other and unaware of my own experience, approached me with their own stories of alleged abuse,” Shahade added in her statement, which was accompanied by a caption. sinister: “Time’s up.”
He said he had also seen texts in which Ramírez admitted that he had acted inappropriately.
‘These accounts were from much younger alleged victims. I saw alarming evidence, including text messages admitting to abusing a minor while he was training her, as well as a text to an alleged victim about being an underage “temptress.”
Ramirez provided Chess.com with a response to the allegations, saying he was unable to respond properly as investigations were ongoing.
‘I understand the concern raised by the allegations against me. I am fully cooperating with both investigations and look forward to the opportunity to respond to these charges and share my side of the story,” he said.
Shahade alleged that Ramirez sexually assaulted her twice in the past decade.
Shahade said that he had seen texts in which Ramírez admitted that he had acted inappropriately.
The US Chess Federation also commented on the allegations and its ongoing investigation, saying that if sanctions were imposed, they would become visible on a player’s internal record.
Ramírez was born in Costa Rica and received the grandmaster title in 2004, making him the first grandmaster from Central America. He currently serves as the head coach of the St. Louis University chess team.
Shahade made it clear that he expected action to be taken against Ramirez and that the process of coming forward had been emotionally draining.
“The road to the investigation and the possible consequences has been a very stressful process,” he said. ‘You may have noticed that I’ve taken a big step back in the comments as this develops. I have occupied my time with poker, writing and promoting girls in chess.
Shahade is the author of the book Chess Queens, subtitled ‘The true story of a chess champion and the greatest female players of all time’.