Chess grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez is accused of sexual misconduct as women's champion speaks out

A chess grandmaster has been accused of sexually assaulting a US women's chess champion after multiple misconduct allegations were made against him.

Alejandro Ramirez, 34, is under investigation by US Chess and the Saint Louis Chess Club after a series of alleged incidents, including at least one involving a minor, according to Chess.com.

Women's grandmaster Jennifer Shahade, 42, took to Twitter on Wednesday to say that she had been sexually assaulted by Ramirez twice in the last decade.

Ramirez is a Costa Rican-American grandmaster, coach, and chess commentator. Shahade won the US Women's Chess Championship twice, in 2002 and 2004, and is also a professional poker player.

Alejandro Ramirez, 34, is under investigation by US Chess and the Saint Louis Chess Club after a series of alleged incidents, including at least one involving a minor

Jennifer Shahade, 42, won the US Women's Chess Championship twice, in 2002 and 2004, and is also a professional poker player

'Currently, there are multiple investigations underway on Alejandro Ramirez and sexual misconduct, including a series of alleged incidents involving a minor,' she explained. 'I was assaulted by him twice, nine and ten years ago.

'I'd moved on until the past couple years, when multiple women, independent of each other and with no knowledge of my own experience, approached me with their own stories of alleged abuse,' added Shahade in her statement, which was accompanied by an ominous caption: 'Time's up.'

She said she had also seen texts in which Ramirez admitted that he had acted inappropriately.  

'These accounts were from much younger alleged victims. I saw alarming evidence, including texts that admitted abuse of a minor while he was coaching her, as well as a text to an alleged victim about being an underage "temptress."'

Ramirez provided Chess.com a response to the allegations and said he could not respond properly as investigations were ongoing. 

'I understand the concern raised by the allegations levied against me. I am fully cooperating with both inquiries and look forward to the opportunity to respond to these charges and share my side of the story,' he said.

Shahade alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Ramirez twice in the last decade

Shahade said she had seen texts in which Ramirez admitted that he had acted inappropriately

The US Chess Federation has also commented on the allegations and its ongoing investigation, saying that if any sanctions were imposed they would be made visible on a player's internal record.

Ramirez was born in Costa Rica and received the grandmaster title in 2004, making him the first grandmaster from central America. He currently serves as the head coach for the St. Louis University chess team.

Shahade made clear she was hoping that action would be taken against Ramirez, and that the process of coming forward had been emotionally exhausting.

'The road to investigation and potential consequences has been a very stressful process,' she said. 'You may have noticed I've taken a major step back from commentary as this plays out. I've filled the time with poker, writing, and promoting girls in chess.'

Shahade is the author of the book Chess Queens, subtitled, 'The True Story of a Chess Champion and the Greatest Female Players of All Time'.