World number one chess player Magnus Carlsen will return to the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York after withdrawing after refusing to change out of his jeans.
The 34-year-old withdrew from the World Speedboat Championship on Friday after breaching the dress code and choosing not to change his outfit.
However, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced on Sunday that Carlsen will return to the World Blitz Championship. Arkady Dvorkovich, the organization’s president, confirmed that while the official dress code will remain the same, it will be relaxed to accommodate “minor deviations from elegance.”
A post on Carlson’s X account read: “Oh I will definitely be playing in jeans tomorrow.”
“I have at least one more day to play in New York, and if I do well, one more day after that,” the Norwegian told Take, Take, Take.
Why did Carlsen quit?
FIDE said Carlsen violated the dress code of the World Rapid Chess and Blitz Chess Championships by wearing jeans on Friday.
He was initially fined $200 and asked to substitute, but he refused and subsequently did not compete in the 9th round of the World Rapid Chess Championship.
Carlson claimed he wore jeans for the meeting and “didn’t even consider” changing into different pants for the game. He said he offered to change clothes the next day but was not accepted.
“I had a nice lunch meeting before I came here and I barely had time to go to my room and change, so I just put on a shirt and a jacket and I didn’t even think about jeans – I even changed my shoes,” he said Tell, take, take, take.
“I was warned that if I didn’t change my clothes, I wouldn’t be matched. They said I could do it after the third round today. I said I would change tomorrow if I could. They said you have to change now. To At that point, it became a matter of principle for me.
Carlson (Henry Nichols/AFP via Getty Images)
He later said he had no plans to defend his title at the World Blitz Championship, which begins on Monday.
“I’ll probably go somewhere where the weather is a little better than here,” he added. “I don’t know what would have to change to make that happen, but no (I won’t blitz).”
Carlsen continued: “They can enforce their rules and that’s fine with me. My answer is it doesn’t matter, I’m out, screw you.
Ord pic.twitter.com/9reOP6zuJv
— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) December 28, 2024
Carlsen was the fast defending champion but fell behind the leader when he retired.
The 18-year-old Russian grandmaster Volodar Murzin eventually won the competition and became the second youngest world rapid chess champion in history.
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Why does chess have a dress code?
FIDE states that its competition rules, including dress requirements, “are designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.”
FIDA’s rules for the 2024 Rapid and Blitz Championships state: “Players wearing T-shirts, jeans, shorts, sneakers, baseball caps or inappropriate clothing will not be permitted in the competition area. Any request to wear national or traditional clothing should be approved by the International Approval from the chess federation director.
Players may wear: “Dark pants, light-colored long-sleeved shirts (white, light blue, beige, brown, etc.), blue or black shirts, in any case solid colors. Dark-colored jackets, vests or t-shirts with ties Cardigans: black, navy, grey, beige, brown, in all cases. Jackets, vests or cardigans may be removed during competition. Ties are not compulsory.
Competitors and FIDE staff, officials and representatives must abide by the dress code policy.
A first violation will result in a fine and the sanctioned player being allowed to participate in the current round, a second violation will result in being excluded from the next round’s pairings.
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Has anyone else violated the dress code?
Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi was also fined on Friday for breaching the dress code by wearing sneakers. However, he changed into “approved clothing” and continued to compete.
How was the Carlson incident resolved?
Carlsen said on Sunday that he had had “productive discussions” with FIDE president Dvorkovich.
“I love playing blitz,” he told Take, Take, Take. “I want the fans to have a chance to see that… Now that I’m here, I think the rules have changed slightly. In principle, I will definitely be playing in jeans tomorrow.
“I sincerely regret that the situation escalated before both parties could find a solution in time to prevent Magnus’ withdrawal,” Dvorkovich wrote in a statement.
He added that Carlsen’s concerns “underscore the need for further discussion on how to modernize current methods to ensure our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess”.
Dvorkovich explained that the World Blitz Championship will have a flexible clothing requirement.
“I decided to try an approach that would provide FIDE officials with greater flexibility in determining whether clothing is appropriate,” he continued. “If any doubt arises, the Special Assistant will be asked to help make judgments and make final conclusions.
“The principle is simple: it is still necessary to follow the official dress code, but small deviations of elegance are allowed (especially including suitable jeans to match the jacket). Finally, it is New Year time and I sincerely hope that no one will try to ruin the festive atmosphere, including Abuse this extra flexibility.
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(Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images)
