Azmaiparashvili and a security agent. There are conflicting claims about the exact nature of said scuffle: a press release from the Olympiad organizers placed the blame squarely on Azmaiparashvili's shoulders, saying that after he had tried to gain admittance to the stage on several occasions he "without any previous provocation, assaulted the agent with a head butt to his mouth". FIDE, on the other hand, blamed over-zealous policing, saying in their press release that "Despite his clear VIP identification, he was severely beaten up by several security guards". Azmaiparashvili was due to appear in court on 22 July 2005, but all charges were dropped shortly beforehand. Azmaiparashvili had been criticized earlier in 2004 over arrangements for the 2004 Women's World Chess Championship when female Georgian players Lela Javakhishvili and Ana Matnadze accused him of behaving "in a hostile and intimidating manner, using inappropriate and vulgar language and bringing to tears our mothers". At the Chess World Cup 2017, where Azmaiparashvili was organizer, he berated player Anton Kovalyov for wearing shorts, racially abusing him with the slur "gypsy" and demanding that Kovalyov change ten minutes before his scheduled third-round game, leading to Kovalyov withdrawing from the tournament in response. Azmaiparashvili received heavy backlash from the global chess community for this incident, including a condemnation from the Association of Chess Professionals and calls from other players demanding that he be removed from his organization roles. In an interview with Chessbase India, Azmaiparashvili stood by his decision. References Sources External links Report on Azmaiparashvili's 2004 arrest from Chessbase Chessbase report on controversy over the 2004 Women's World Championship ChessBase.com - Chess News - Festivities in Tbilisi for Zurab's fiftieth 1960 births Living people Sportspeople from Tbilisi Chess grandmasters Chess Olympiad competitors Chess coaches National team coaches Chess players from Georgia (country) Soviet chess players Expatriate sportspeople in Singapore European Chess Champions Expatriates from Georgia (country) in Singapore