Cheaters
At first, DrLupo didn't make things any better by trying to pass it off as an accident. Internet streamers often have a chat window open while they are playing, and inevitably fans will sometimes suggest moves while the games are being played. But DrLupo had not just made one or two unusually good moves. After the initial blunder, he played the entire game perfectly, all the way to checkmate on move 36 – an almost impossible feat without consulting a chess engine.
To his credit, DrLupo later posted an unqualified apology to Chess.com, his opponent, his viewers, the chess community and so on. He went on to offer to pay for the entirety of the next PogChamps series, estimating the total pricetag at $200,000-$250,000. Perhaps that's just good business for a streamer with 4.5 million followers on Twitch and nearly 2 million on YouTube. But it highlights a serious question for chess. What is a reasonable sanction for those caught cheating, if they do not have the means to make an offer like DrLupo?
When cases of cheating were rare, it was easy to take a lazy view: ban them all for ever. The proliferation of actual cases of cheating demands a bit more nuance. Chess.com can make their own rules, but the international federation Fide has the responsibility of laying down some guidelines. Many of the cheaters are minors – do they deserve the same treatment as an adult? Should reports of online cheating on independent platforms like Chess.com
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Disturbing world of ‘trash streamer' Jean Pormanove, 46, who died on camera after 10 days of torture & sleep deprivation
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FROM being spat on to kicked in the stomach, "trash streamer" Jean Pormanove endured "absolute horror" during the final 10 days of his life. Jean - real name Raphael Graven - died aged 46 live on camera at his home in France after taking his grimly popular trash rituals too far. 6 Jean Pormanove - real name Raphael Graven - died aged 46 at his home in France Credit: YouTube 6 Horrifying videos showed him being tortured in the days leading up to his death Credit: YouTube 6 His death on Monday was reported to cops by viewers who had been watching Jean throughout the 10-day live-stream marathon Credit: YouTube After 10 days of reported torture, sleep deprivation and ingestion of toxic products - Jean allegedly died in his sleep on camera. His death on Monday was reported to cops by viewers who had been watching Jean throughout the 10-day live-stream marathon - but realised a sudden end to the challenge. The challenge is said to have included "extreme" physical violence, "sleep deprivation", and "the ingestion of toxic products", according to BFMTV. The death was confirmed by Owen Cenazandotti, a fellow streamer in a post on his Instagram. 'I ask you all to respect his memory and not share the video of his last breath in his sleep.' Streaming for lengthy periods of time was not uncommon for Jean and his partners - who do this for a living on a platform called Kick, with Jean mostly as the online punch-bag. He had grown his following to over 500,000 across social media and was known for taking part in extreme challenges online alongside his streamer pals Naruto and Safine. In his clips, they were seen throwing objects at him, pushing food into his mouth while he was tied up and shooting Jean with a paintball gun. Naruto and Safine were taken into custody in January 2025 on suspicion of violence against vulnerable people - before being released. French government minister Clara Chappaz said Jean was 'humiliated and mistreated' and what he endured during live streams was often an 'absolute horror". Kick, a live streaming video platform, was launched in 2022 and it has very lenient moderation policies, making it an attractive options for content creators. The murky world of trash streaming has been subject to controversy due to several incidents involving physical harm or death during live broadcasts. It is a type of live broadcast where the host engages in shocking, dangerous, humiliating, or otherwise controversial actions - often involving themselves or other people. The genre, which originated in Russia was actually banned on July 30, 2024, in Russia's State Duma due to public safety concerns and the negative societal impact. Another death involved with filmed humiliation culture is Valentina Grigoryeva who died of hypothermia after being locked outside in subzero temperatures in 2020. Valentina, who was pregnant at the time, would live stream with boyfriend Stas Reeflay. He would repeatedly pepper spray her as she lay screaming on the sofa, smash plates of food over her head and clamp his hands around Valentina's face, as seen in their videos. Reeflay, a Russian Youtuber, is facing 15 years in prison for the death of Valentina after he locked her outside in the freezing cold and then livestreamed her lying dead on the sofa. 6 Jean grew 500,000 followers across social media Credit: X 6 They were seen throwing objects at him, pushing food into his mouth while he was tied up and shooting Jean with a paintball gun Credit: YouTube 6 The lengthy stream was not uncommon for Jean and his streaming partners who do this for a living on a platform called Kick Credit: YouTube He was allegedly paid £800 by a subscriber to lock her outside his home near Moscow in subzero temperatures. The horror clip - far too disturbing to show - then features him pulling her near naked body back inside the flat and laying her on his sofa. Keeping the camera rolling with her body on show, the 30-year-old Russian then waits for the paramedics to arrive. He even keeps the camera on as medics enter and attempt to revive Valentina. 'Reality violence' was recently a subculture parodied by Black Mirror episode, Common People. The episode skewers our subscription-obsessed era by portraying a chilling reality-TV style nightmare where a woman's consciousness becomes pay-to-play and her desperate husband resorts to self-harm streams to keep her alive. Black Mirror's Common People confirms sick obsessions with streamed shame - proving that in the world of clicks, the more people suffer, the more we watch. The idea behind trash streaming - inviting a few friends over to get drunk, start a live broadcast and ask people for donations is so simple yet so horrific. But what is different about trash streams are the extent to which the dares are taken to - and the inevitable consequences that come with it. Over the years, trash streamers have experienced a concerning shift into a list of verbal and sexual assault cases. A trash stream in October 2020 featured blogger Andrei Burium - also known as Mellstroy - who invited a group of women to a party in Moscow. After offering a split in revenue, he asked them to take part in dares for exchange in revenue. In a chilling twist, Barium repeatedly slammed a 21-year-old woman's head against a table. His Youtube with a following of 500,000 was blocked however Burium continues to stream shocking content on his back-up channels and posts exclusive content on Telegram. Another sickening incident involves Ivan Pozharnikov, a trash streamer famous for mocking homeless people in exchange for donations from viewers. Valentin Ganichev was a homeless victim who allegedly took part in trash streaming with Ivan in return for food and a roof over his head. He was horrifically humiliated countless times as they pelted eggs over his head, chucked him in cold water and even buried him alive. On most of the streams, Ganichev was either drunk, or out of his mind on drugs which led viewers to believe he was being forced to participate in the dares - however he admitted to volunteering to officials. The demand for trash streaming has stemmed from COVID times which produced a lot of lonely viewers and 'streamer- boredom'- who wanted a sense of community. 'I was attracted by its real emotions,' said Anton, a 25-year-old security guard. Another fan of trash streams, nicknamed 'xbpm_music', claimed that the broadcasts have helped him 'pine less' for his homeland. 'It's fun for me to see typical Russian idiots,' he said. 'Sometimes I look at them and think: 'Damn, I really need to do something good, otherwise I'll become like them.' Motivation or what?' Psychologist Alena from Russia said: 'Getting pleasure from watching violence is a mental disorder'.
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Streamer found dead in bed after '10 days of torture and sleep deprivation'
A streamer known for taking part in extreme online challenges has been found dead. Raphael Graven, also known as Jean Pormanove or JP, died following a live broadcast at his home in Contes, a village north of Nice, on Monday. The 46-year-old reportedly endured '10 days and nights of torture' including 'extreme' physical violence and sleep deprivation beforehand. People watching his final stream are said to have raised the alarm after seeing him lying motionless on a mattress and not responding to any of their messages. French newspaper Le Monde reported that Graven was known known for taking part in videos depicting violence and humiliation. While he lay on the mattress, a man could be seen throwing a bottle of water at him. Government minister Clara Chappaz described the violence Graven suffered before his death as an 'absolute horror' and said he had been 'humiliated' for months as she announced a judicial investigation is now under way. Sarah El Haïry, the country's high commissioner for children, similarly said the streamer's death is 'horrifying' in a post on X. She wrote: 'Platforms have an immense responsibility in regulating online content so that our children are not exposed to violent content. I call on parents to exercise the utmost vigilance.' Graven's cause of death has yet to be determined, and an autopsy will take place later. He had more than a million social media followers and was particularly popular on Kick, which is seen as having less stringent user terms than those of its rival, the better-known Twitch streaming service. More Trending A spokesperson for Kick said the company is 'urgently reviewing the circumstances' around the streamer's death. They added: 'Kick's community guidelines are designed to protect creators, and we remain committed to upholding these standards across our platform.' Police in Nice have been looking into allegations of 'deliberate violence' against 'vulnerable people' that have been ending up as videos on the internet for the past eight months. That investigation was triggered by a report from French outlet Mediapart flagging the videos, which have amassed thousands of views on Kick. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Food influencers narrowly escape death after car crashes into restaurant table mid-review MORE: Sir Elton John, 78, seen living up his retirement in rare photo with David Walliams MORE: 'Gifted' European city that's 25°C in September with Mediterranean beaches and £85 flights
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Immigration debate has been mishandled by both the left and the right
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