The dark side of chess: Payoffs, points, and 12-year-old grandmasters “I believe it is possible that if I went to the effort, I think I could get my dog a grandmaster’s title.” Street chess players in central Kyiv, Ukraine, May 10, 2021. Far from prying eyes, secret agreements and cash exchanges to arrange results at chess tournaments not uncommon, according to interviews with chess players and FIDE officials. (Misha Friedman/The New York Times) By Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times Service July 13, 2021 | 7:25 PM KYIV, Ukraine — Sergei Karjakin had only one game of chess left, and he had to win it. It should have been an easy task. The opponent was the lowest-ranked player in the tournament. Karjakin was one of the rising talents in chess, a poised and accomplished boy of 12 years 7 months who was, at that moment, one victory from becoming the game’s youngest grandmaster.