Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has opted out of the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships due to a dress code disagreement, as confirmed by the International Chess Federation.
The chess community was taken aback when Magnus Carlsen, the top-ranked player, withdrew from the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships. The International Chess Federation’s regulations, which prohibit participants from wearing jeans, prompted this sudden departure. Carlsen arrived at the event wearing jeans and, upon being informed of the breach by the Chief Arbiter, was issued a $200 fine and asked to change his attire immediately.
Carlsen, in a video shared on the platform X, expressed his willingness to accept the fine. However, he was unwilling to change his jeans at that moment, proposing instead to change the following day. He stated on his Take Take Take chess app, “I said, ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s OK,’ but they said, ‘Well, you have to change now.’ At that point it became a bit of a matter of principle for me.” This principled stance led to his exclusion from round nine of the tournament.
The federation emphasized that the dress code aims to maintain professionalism and fairness among participants. They assured that this rule was impartially enforced and applied to all players. Notably, another participant, Ian Nepomniachtchi, faced a similar situation earlier but complied with the dress code by changing his sports shoes and continued playing.
The federation reiterated that these dress code rules have been in place for years and are well-known to all participants, being communicated ahead of each event. While some players, like Nepomniachtchi, chose to adhere to the regulations to continue competing, Carlsen’s decision highlights the complex interactions between personal principles and institutional regulations within competitive chess.
Magnus Carlsen’s decision to withdraw from the championship underscores the importance of balancing personal values with regulatory adherence in the professional chess world.
Source: Local10
