Russian media learned on Monday that former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov had fallen into a coma. The Russian media competed with theories on accidentto which Karpov was officially to succumb at home. There were theories about the attack on the 71-year-old, but former chess assistant Albert Stepanian has denied them.

Anatoly Karpov’s assistant denies seizure and coma theories

– It was an accident. Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov slipped, fell and hit his head. He was taken to hospital, where he was taken care of by doctors. He has no fractures, he is conscious, but he suffered a concussion. The doctors said she would be out in a week. All reports of an attack, coma or fracture are pure heresy – said the assistant of the legendary chess player, Albert Stepanian, quoted by the TASS agency.

A businessman, Andrei Kovalev, who constantly pushes the attack theory, disagrees with Stepanian’s words. He denies that Karpov could have been under the influence of alcohol. – I received a call from one of his closest advisers. Drunk Karpov? I beg you. He is a holy man. No, it was the work of a maniac or a thief. I don’t know, maybe someone ordered an attack on him. I am still in shock.

In the end, Karpov is still in the hospital and the following days are expected to bring more revelations about his accident.

For more information, see Gazeta.pl

Anatoly Karpov was world chess champion from 1975 to 1985 and champion of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) from 1993 to 1999. He later embarked on a political career. In 2011, he was elected to the State Duma. He supported the annexation of Crimea by Russia. He is now a Duma deputy for the United Russia party, the political base of Vladimir Putin. The West imposed sanctions on him, FIDE stripped him of the title of ambassador. He recently had an accident shrouded in mystery.