Dangerous move

Anyone who has played in any competition knows that the taste of victory can also be matched by the pain of injury but they keep battling on. Australia's own version of football is facing a crisis from the consequences of concussions in a fierce contact game.

These however have been overshadowed by the deadly, potentially, game of chess where a Russian champion has been accused of putting mercury, a deadly poison, on her opponent’s pieces. Revenge, for an insult, can be sweet but it should never be fatal.

We have all now watched the world's best, except the Russians, at the Olympics and soon the Paralympics, and the only risks are those inherent in their sport and by swimming in the Seine, not by any act of malice.

The Olympic motto of 'Faster, Higher, Stronger' should be extended to include, 'Honest, Fairest and Safest'. This ideal should be the cornerstone of all competitions, even chess.

Dennis Fitzgerald,

Melbourne, Australia