Ex-Russian Governor Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: Aliens Abducted Me, Invented Chess

• Former Russian governor and chess administrator Kirsan Ilyumzhinov's 1997 alien abduction claim has resurfaced after a recent interview went viral.
• Ilyumzhinov states he was abducted by humanoids in yellow suits, taken aboard a spaceship, and communicated with telepathically.
• He claims the aliens told him chess was an extraterrestrial invention and shared information about humanity's origins.
• The story, first shared publicly in 2010, has consistently been repeated by Ilyumzhinov despite widespread disbelief and mockery.

Why It Matters: A former governor's alien abduction claim highlights the bizarre in public discourse.