In Russia’s Sverdlovsk region, a seemingly childish game turned deadly when a man murdered his friend after a drunken round of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” played for life. The incident occurred in the settlement of Sloboda Turinskaya, according to the regional court press service.
A Drunken Game Turns Deadly
In May, local resident Sergey Goryachevskikh spent several days drinking with a friend and a woman acquaintance. Bored and intoxicated, the two men decided to make their game more “interesting” by betting their lives on a round of “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” The rules were simple and grim — the winner could decide whether to kill the loser or order someone else to do it.
After shaking hands to seal the fatal wager, Goryachevskikh’s companion lost the game. The argument that followed ended when Sergey grabbed a knife from the table — the same one he had been using to cut pork fat — and stabbed his friend three times.
Verdict and Sentence
The Turinsky District Court found Goryachevskikh guilty under Article 105, Part 1 of the Russian Criminal Code (“Murder”).
“The court sentenced the defendant to nine years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony,”
the regional judiciary’s press service announced.
The bizarre and tragic case has drawn widespread attention across Russia, highlighting how alcohol-fueled recklessness can turn even a child’s game into a deadly confrontation.
