Magnus Carlsen quits chess championship after refusing to change out of jeans
Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top chess player, has quit the World Rapid Chess Championship being held in New York after refusing to change out of jeans to abide by a dress code.
The Norwegian chess grandmaster was fined $200 on Friday and given a warning by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the governing body for international chess championships, to change into acceptable attire or be disqualified.
Carlsen told chess channel Take Take Take that he’d been at a lunch meeting and arrived at the championship wearing a shirt, blazer and jeans and that he “didn’t even think about” changing out of his jeans.
After receiving the fine, “I said I’ll change tomorrow,” Carlsen said. “But they said you have to change now. It became a matter of principle for me so here we are.”
Carlsen’s decision to withdraw from the World Rapid Championship means he will be unable to defend his title in that event, which he has won five times previously. His withdrawal also means he will not be able to defend his title in the World Blitz Championship, scheduled to take place afterward. Carlsen is a seven-time champion in blitz chess. The move opens the door for other top players to claim the prestigious titles.
In a statement, FIDE said that its regulations, including its dress code, are “designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.”
It said that jeans “are explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations for this event” and that FIDE’s decision “was made impartially and applies equally to all players.”
FIDE pointed out that another player, Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, had earlier been fined for wearing sports shoes in contravention of the dress code, but that he “complied, changed into approved attire, and continued to play in the tournament.”
Carlsen told Take Take Take that he doesn’t plan to appeal the decision. “Honestly I’m too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do I’ll probably set off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer,” he said.
Carlsen, 34, became a grandmaster at age 13. In 2022, he resigned a game with fellow grandmaster Hans Niemann after a single move and subsequently accused the player of cheating. A judge later dismissed a $100 million defamation lawsuit filed by Niemann against Carlsen, according to Chess.com.
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