Alexander Pichushkin was a chess prodigy who had a dark desire to kill 64 people - one for each square on a chessboard Pichushkin being escorted into a courtroom in 2007 (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Alexander Pichushkin was a chess prodigy harbouring a chilling ambition. He aspired to murder 64 individuals, each victim representing a square on a chessboard.

Born in Soviet-era Moscow in 1974, near Bitsa Park - a lush, green area teeming with over 600 species of flora and fauna and a favoured retreat for city residents - Alexander Pichushkin is remembered as a joyful, intelligent, and healthy youngster.

However, his life took a tragic turn when he fell from a swing, damaging his frontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and anger management.

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