A small claims court in Edinburgh has been asked to rule on what may be the world’s first chess-related emotional distress lawsuit, after a 67-year-old retired accountant filed a claim against his next-door neighbour of 22 years.
The plaintiff argues that his neighbour’s unbroken winning streak — 94 consecutive games played over three years at their weekly Tuesday sessions — constitutes “deliberate and sustained psychological torment” and has caused him to lose sleep, develop a nervous twitch, and abandon a holiday to Tenerife.
The defendant responded to the claim by saying he had offered to play left-handed on multiple occasions but the offer was refused. He has also submitted into evidence a hand-written note from the plaintiff reading “same time next Tuesday?” dated just four days before the lawsuit was filed.
The court is expected to rule next month.
