Spooky History
However, the monotonous and isolated existence of research stations on the continent has witnessed a few costs of incidents for many years, IFLSCIENCE writes. For example, in 1984, a member of the Argentine Research Group resorted to the arson of his research station after sailing the last ship with loads, so as not to worry with the harsh winter months. In addition, in 1996, the dispute between staff on the American base ended with a fight with the use of hammers.
In focus, technology appeared its Telegram channel. Subscribe not to miss the latest and most intrusive news from the world of science! Another incident, which is worth mentioning, has to do with two Soviet scientists, has led to a kind of chess ban on the entire research station, as reported by numerous sources.
According to the story, at the Russian station "Vostok" in 1959 the mental stability of one of the scientists deteriorated after losing in chess, which led to a cruel attack on his opponent and murder of his ax. Some sources suggest that this tragic event prompted the Soviet Union, and later Russia, to ban chess not only in Antarctica, but also in space, given the similar isolation conditions.
Despite the fact that this narrative is supported by some persons who are on research bases, it has the signs of a city legend. There is very little known about the incident, and in alternative versions the victim is depicted as just a wounded, not as a dead. In addition, chess in space is not officially prohibited, as evidenced by the well -known party played on the radio between the Russian astronaut and representatives from the land that ended with a draw without any episodes of violence.
In 2018, a similar case came into the headlines of newspapers when a 55-year-old electrical engineer Serhiy Savitsky killed 52-year-old Oleg Beloguzov welder at Bellingshausen research station. At that time, the tabloids suggested that the incident occurred because Beloguzov often spoiled the limbs of books that Savitsky read, breaking his rest. However, the reliability of this particular detail remains untested and probably false.
The Associated Press attributed Savitsky, who suffered from mental disorders, the impact of tension in limited space, not premature disclosure of a "thunderstorm". Although these stories are similar to funny anecdotes and serve as a warning on the consequences of isolation, lack of information about chess incident in combination with the lack of modern news reports makes us consider it a decorated event, if not frank city legend.
Chess's enthusiasts that conducted an investigation on Chess Stack Exchange believe that this story first appeared in the 1980s. Contrary to the idea of a ban on killer trends, in 1978, a five -month chess championship launched among Soviet researchers in Antarctica. The emergence of such an event seems incredible if the chess was indeed banned because of their connection with the killings several decades earlier.