Nihal Sarin questions FIDE anti-doping test, adding fuel to controversy at World Rapid and Blitz Championship

Grandmaster Nihal Sarin has questioned FIDE’s anti-doping test policy, which requires players to submit urine samples, after it took him three hours to complete the process post his final match of the World Rapid Championship in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Thursday.

Nihal finished 36th with 8.0 points in 13 rounds in the championship, which was won by Magnus Carlsen. He will now be playing in the World Blitz Championship for the next two days starting today.

The 19-year-old took to social media to share his ordeal where he had to give the sample three times before clearing the process.

“I gave a urine test after the final game – I’ve been through this in previous fide tournaments, and I always thought it was inconvenient. Today as usual I drank a lot of water and gave the test. It was deemed too diluted. So I had to wait and eat food, etc. and give it again,” Nihal wrote on X.

“It was deemed too diluted again. So had to go through the same process again. Third time lucky. 3 hours I think and it’s already past midnight as I reached back my room. All I’m asking is – is this needed?,” he said.

Nihal further questioned if the International Chess Federation has ever caught anyone doping by using urine samples.

“Is there a drug out there that can make me play better than the top seed consistently by providing me an unfair advantage? If yes then I think a drug test makes sense but I don’t think such a thing exists,” Nihal wrote further on X.

During the same tournament, Ian Nepomniachtchi too questioned the way FIDE and organisers regarding different treatment for Magnus Carlsen and the others.

In another instance, Anna-Maja Kazarian was fined 100 Euros for wearing “strange shoes”.