The bizarre chess cheating controversy with speculation over a vibrating sex toy, explained

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Have you seen talk on social media or elsewhere about a controversy in chess that might involve something … er, X-rated? We’re here to help.

That’s right: Poker isn’t the only controversial sports story making the rounds right now.

There’s a ton of buzz in the chess world over a potential cheating scandal involving a top player, and it’s gotten a little weird, to say the least.

So what’s the deal here? Why is this a thing? Let’s break down what’s been reported so far: