The world of Chinese chess (Xiangqi) is in uproar over rumours of cheating and a bad behaviour scandal that saw the national champion stripped of his title.
Key points: Chinese chess champion Yan Chenglong has been stripped of his title
Chinese chess champion Yan Chenglong has been stripped of his title He was punished for defecating in a hotel bath during celebrations
He was punished for defecating in a hotel bath during celebrations There are also accusations he cheated using anal beads
48-year-old Yan Chenglong beat dozens of contenders last week to win the national title of "Xiangqi King" but the victory was short-lived after the celebration ended with him defecating in a bathtub.
The Chinese Xiangqi Association (CXA) announced on Monday he would have his title revoked and prize money confiscated after he had been caught "disrupting public order" and displaying "extremely bad character".
He was also banned from playing for a year.
"Yan consumed alcohol with others in his room on the night of the 17th, and then he defecated in the bathtub of the room he was staying in on the 18th, in an act that damaged hotel property, violated public order and good morals, had a negative impact on the competition and the event of Xiangqi, and was of extremely bad character," the association said in a statement.
The association was also forced to address rumours circulating online that Yan had cheated during the competition by using anal beads equipped with wireless transmitters to send and receive signals.
Yan allegedly clenched and unclenched rhythmically to communicate information about the chess board via code to a computer, which then sent back instructions on what moves to make in the form of vibrations, according to reports circulating on the Chinese social site Weibo.
"Based on our understanding of the situation, it is currently impossible to prove that Yan engaged in cheating via 'anal beads' as speculated on social media," the CXA said.
The association did not disclose the amount of prize money Yan was forfeiting, but Xiangqi tournaments often promise winners tens of thousands of yuan (thousands of dollars).
The CXA published a social media post last week congratulating Yan and other players for their "spectacularly heated high-level gameplay".