Boy, 10, Dies After Jumping Out Of School Window After Losing Chess Game, Mad Winner Didn’t Say Checkmate

A 10-year-old boy from New Jersey killed himself after he lost a game of chess. The boy became angry after the winner didn’t say checkmate, so he jumped out of the second-story school window to his death.

The Daily Mail reports that an unnamed child was killed at Grant Elementary School after jumping headfirst from a second-story window. Police have concluded that the boy became angry after losing a chess match in which the winner did not say checkmate. Prior to jumping out of the window, the boy wrote a letter to his opponent and told him to read it later. He then proceeded to climb to the window and jumped out.

The teacher’s aide in the room says that she confiscated the note and as she turned around she saw the boy climbing through the partially open window. Before she could make it to the child he had went headfirst out the window and plummeted to the ground. The boy would later die in the hospital from the injuries sustained during the fall.

“He went headfirst, unforced, unassisted and of his own accord.”

According to North Jersey, the teacher’s aide says the boy was very upset after losing a chess game during morning recess. She says he was complaining that the winner did not say “checkmate.” She says just before lunch she saw the boy writing a note and crying in the corner. The boy then took the note to the classmate who had beaten him at chess and told the boy to read it at lunch. At this point the teacher confiscated the note and the tragedy unfolded. She says the boy questioned, “do you want me to do something drastic?” before jumping from the window.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the boy had told his chess opponent on at least four other occasions that he was going to jump from the window. However, his young classmate did not believe him so he never told teachers. The classmate recalled how just last December the boy had told him, “I’m this close to jumping out the window!” while holding his thumb and index finger about an inch apart. The classmate says the statement came after he lost a chess match.

A cafeteria worker says the boy often complained that other students wouldn’t play chess with him. Therefore, teachers asked the other children to include the boy in the games. Little did they know, a chess match would cost the boy his life.

[Image Credit: Getty Images/ Oli Scarff ]