In a surprising turn of events, renowned Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has withdrawn from one of the year’s most prestigious tournaments. This decision follows an incident concerning his choice of attire during the ongoing FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York.
Carlsen’s exit came shortly before his round nine match when officials requested that he change out of the jeans he was wearing. Although he was open to changing his outfit for subsequent matches, tournament officials insisted he comply immediately. Faced with this ultimatum, Carlsen ultimately opted to leave the tournament, thus relinquishing his chance to defend the titles he claimed the previous year. At the time of withdrawal, he had a score of 5/8, trailing the leaders by 1.5 points, significantly diminishing his chances of retaining his championship titles.
Reactions from the Chess Governing Body
Following the withdrawal, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) issued a comprehensive statement to clarify the circumstances surrounding Carlsen’s departure. The statement also referred to Ian Nepomniachtchi, another competitor who was reprimanded for his outfit choice but ultimately chose to comply with the dress code requirements.
FIDE outlined the importance of its regulations: “The dress code for the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships is established to maintain professionalism and fairness among all players. Mr. Magnus Carlsen violated this dress code by donning jeans, which contradict longstanding rules for this event.”
The organization detailed that Carlsen was informed of his dress code violation, resulting in a $200 fine and a request for a wardrobe change. When he declined the request, he was not assigned a match for round nine, a decision taken without bias and uniformly applicable to all competitors.
FIDE noted that Ian Nepomniachtchi had also faced a fine for wearing inappropriate footwear, although he complied with the rules and continued in the tournament. The governing body emphasized that these guidelines are developed by both current and former professional players, underscoring the awareness of the dress code among participants.
“These regulations are crafted by the FIDE Athletes Commission, a group consisting of professional players and experts. The rules have been entrenched for many years and are well-communicated to all participants prior to each event,” FIDE added.
This incident follows Carlsen’s previous decision to forego defending his World Chess Championship title last November and December, with the championship being claimed by Indian chess sensation Gukesh Dommaraju.
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