Anatoly Karpov, one of the world’s greatest chess players, is in an induced coma after suffering a head injury.

Russian and international media reported that 71-year-old Anatoly Karpov was found unconscious last Saturday after suffering severe head injuries and has since been placed in an induced coma in an intensive care unit in Moscow. There are conflicting accounts of how and when he was injured, the following versions can be found:

• According to his daughter Sophia, he had a family accident at his home.
• According to Russian businessman Andrey Kovalev, Karpov was reportedly found unconscious near the Russian parliament after being attacked by unidentified assailants.
• According to the third version, although he was found near the Russian Parliament, he was not beaten, but fell drunk, causing a skull injury and a hip fracture.
• According to the Russian Chess Federation, he was injured in an unfortunate fall.

After all this, Garbo’s assistant Albert Stefanjan also spoke, who completely denied the fact of the injury and coma:

“There was no attack. Everything is fine with Anatoly Yevgenevich, no injury.”

Citing the independent Russian news website Medusa, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) confirmed that Karpov had suffered a head injury in the fall and was being treated in hospital.

(Tass.ru, Pravda.Ru, WorldChess.com)