A chess grandmaster has been thrown out of an international tournament and faces a 15-year ban after he was caught sneaking to the toilet to check moves on his mobile phone.

Gaioz Nigalidze, the current Georgian champion, was expelled from the Dubai Open Chess tournament when he was found using his phone in the middle of a match.

The two-time national champion was exposed when his opponent lodged a complaint when he grew suspicious about his frequent trips to the lavatory.

Tournament organisers found Nigalidze had stored a mobile phone in a cubicle, covered in toilet paper.