Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen faced both a fine and disqualification from the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship for violating FIDE’s dress code by wearing jeans.
Carlsen, the defending champion, was fined $200 for his attire, as jeans are “explicitly prohibited” under tournament rules. Chief arbiter Alex Holowczak requested Carlsen to change immediately after the eighth round, but the Norwegian refused, resulting in his disqualification. He was not paired for Round 9 of the Rapid Championship, held at Wall Street.
Although Carlsen agreed to comply with the dress code the next day, his refusal to do so immediately led to his removal from the event. “I would rather be at someplace with better weather,” Carlsen said, summing up his disqualification from the championship he had won in the past two editions.
In a statement, FIDE, the global governing body for chess, underscored that the dress code is well-communicated and aims to ensure professionalism.
“The dress code regulations are drafted by members of the FIDE Athletes Commission, comprising professional players and experts. These rules have been in place for years, are well-known to all participants, and are communicated ahead of each event,” the statement, shared on ‘X,’ read.
“Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen breached the dress code by wearing jeans, explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations. The Chief Arbiter informed Mr. Carlsen of the breach, issued a $200 fine, and requested a change of attire. Unfortunately, Mr. Carlsen declined, leading to his exclusion from Round 9. This decision applies impartially to all players.”
FIDE highlighted that accommodations were arranged near the venue to facilitate adherence to the dress code. The incident follows a similar penalty imposed on Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, who complied by changing his attire and continued in the event.
Upset with the incident, Carlsen announced he would not participate in the Blitz section of the championship, citing his frustration with FIDE’s dress code policies.
“I am pretty tired of FIDE and want no more of this,” Carlsen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “I don’t want to bother changing now but agreed to do so from tomorrow. They refused to compromise. Maybe it’s a stupid principle, but I don’t think it’s fun.”
Carlsen’s dissatisfaction with FIDE is seen as part of his broader push to develop faster formats of chess, which he considers a “real skill.” He recently raised $12 million to promote “freestyle chess,” a variation inspired by Bobby Fischer, allowing pieces to be shuffled in any order.
“This is a war with FIDE,” said Norwegian sports broadcaster Kaja Snare, suggesting that Carlsen’s actions mark the end of an era in world chess.
