ABC Sydney was hammered by criticism following a segment aired on Wednesday, where the question of a racial undertone in the game of chess was raised.
Australian economist and chess player John Adams, who was asked to participate in the debate, accused the ABC of “broadcasting on irrelevant topics.”
He was joined by other Twitter users, who were baffled by the content of the discussion and said that the mainstream media “continue to promote division & aggression.”
Russian chess grandmaster and former world champion Garry Kasparov also reacted to the debate, suggesting the broadcaster of "wasting taxpayers' money."
Chess pieces are not always coloured in black and white, with generally a lighter and a darker contrasting tones prevalent.
The issue of racial prejudice has been on the forefront of the news agenda globally, following the murder of an African-American man George Floyd, while in US police custody on 25 May.