Photo: Xinhua

The Chinese chess (Xiangqi) champion who was stripped of his title and prize money for alleged cheating, is suing the Chinese Xiangqi Association (CXA) and demanding a public apology, as well as compensation of 100,000 yuan for emotional distress.

According to a post on Sina Weibo, Yan Chenglong mailed a civil complaint to the local court in Yuzhou City, Central China's Henan Province. His litigation requests include an immediate cessation by the CXA of publishing reports or statements that infringe upon his reputation.

Additionally, he demanded a public apology to eliminate the impact and restore his reputation. He is also seeking compensation of 100,000 yuan for emotional distress and demands that the CXA bear all legal costs associated with the lawsuit.

"The defendant, the Chinese Chess Association, intentionally fabricated and distorted facts, making incorrect decisions and announcements without reasonably verifying the accuracy of their statements when they knew or should have known that the information was seriously untrue. Such abuse of authority constitutes a serious infringement on the plaintiff's legal rights," according to Yan's lawsuit.

In December, Yan, 48, was stripped of his title as champion and had his prize money withdrawn after he allegedly defecated in the hotel bathtub to excrete anal beads, a cheating device. An uproar ensued on social media.

Yan had won the national Chinese chess amateur competition final in Lingshui, South China's Hainan Province on December 17. He was awarded 100,000 yuan ($13,997) in prize money.

The next morning when he checked out of the hotel where the Chinese chess players were accommodated, a hotel employee found the bathtub in Yan's hotel room was contaminated with excrement.

The incident soon stirred heated discussion on the internet and aroused speculation that Yan might have used a kind of cheating device which was inserted in his body to cheat in the game and he had to excrete the device, leading him to defecate in the bathtub instead of in the toilet.

The CXA responded to this incident on December 25 and announced its decision to strip Yan of his title.

According to the association, Yan drank with other people on the evening of December 17 and excreted in the bathtub on December 18. His behavior damaged the hotel's property, violated public order and good customs, and had a negative impact on Chinese chess. However, based on the current evidence, it cannot be verified that Yan engaged in cheating.

All the prizes and titles Yan obtained were revoked and his prize money will not be paid. Yan was also disqualified from participating in any Chinese chess competition for one year from the date of the punishment decision.

According to media reports, it was not the first time that Yan has won a championship in a Chinese chess amateur competition. Yan also won the men's championship in an open tournament in the 14th National Games in 2021.

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has made it possible to cheat using high technology in chess games. Several cheating scandals have previously been exposed in chess. Overseas netizens have also speculated about the existence of some AI devices that can be kept inside a player's body to assist with cheating.

On December 28, Yan responded to the incident, saying that he felt uncomfortable after drinking on December 17 and suffered from diarrhea. He failed to make it to the toilet in time and couldn't help but defecate in the bathtub, Shangyou News reported on Tuesday.

Yan denied that he cheated in the game and noted that he had been playing Chinese chess for over 40 years at a high level.

According to media reports, Yan has won multiple championships since 1992. In 2007, Yan served as the head coach of the Henan Provincial chess team. He currently works at a government department in Xuchang city in Henan.