The world's top chess player left a major tournament in New York City after officials told him he couldn't wear jeans to compete.
magnus carlsenThe 34-year-old was competing in the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Blitz Chess Championship and the World Rapid Chess Championship. During these events, chess players compete under specific time rules. Carlsen won both tournaments in both 2022 and 2023. He has won the Blitz Chess Championship seven times and the Rapid Chess Championship five times in the last 10 years.
The 2024 events began on Thursday. Carlson arrived at Friday's event wearing jeans, which officials said is “expressly prohibited” under federation rules for the event. Carlson said he was coming from a lunch meeting and had played several rounds before officials told him he would have to make a change. CBS News partner BBC News,
Carlson was told he would be fined $200 and asked to change his clothes, the federation said. Carlson declined to do so but offered to change for the next day. When that offer was rejected, Carlson said it “became a bit of a matter of principle”, according to the BBC.
Carlsen was not allowed to play in the ninth round of the tournament, making him ineligible from further participation. According to the BBC, Carlsen said he would not appeal the decision. that later shared a photo of myself Dressed in jeans, blazer and blue shirt on social media, it's titled “OOTD”, short for “outfit of the day”.
The federation said in a Statement shared on social media Dress code rules are made clear to participants, are communicated before each event, and are “designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.” These events were within “a short walking distance” of players' residences, making it more convenient to follow the rules, the federation said.
Earlier in the day, another player, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined for violating the dress code by wearing sports shoes, the federation said. Officials said Nepomniachtchi replaced his shoes and was allowed to continue playing in the tournament.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday.
This is not the first time Carlsen became Chess Grandmaster at the age of 13Has created controversy. He accused American player Hans Niemann of cheating after Niemann defeated him in a tournament. A week later, the two were paired in an online chess game, which Carlsen played quit after just one moveNeiman, who previously admitted cheating in online games, denied Carlson's allegations. carlson He said he believed The American player had cheated more than he admitted. Pair $100 million lawsuit settled In August 2023.