Chess champion quits FIDE tournament after being told to change jeans
World number one chess player Magnus Carlsen has withdrawn from a major tournament after being told he could not continue wearing jeans.
The chess superstar was defending his title at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when officials made the request.
The grandmaster said he offered to change his pants the next day, but was fined and told he needed to change immediately.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) said its dress code was designed to “ensure fairness and professionalism for all participants”.
Carlsen is a well-known figure in the chess world and has caused some controversy in recent years.
Last year, he settled a long-running legal dispute after accusing an opponent of cheating in a tournament.
On Friday, he withdrew from the abbreviated version of the tournament due to a dispute over attire. Carlsen was the reigning Blitz and Rapid chess champion.
He added that he would not appeal the decision, saying: “Honestly, I’m too old to care too much now.”
He said he had been wearing jeans for the lunch meeting and “didn’t even think twice” about changing them into another pair of pants when heading to the game.
He showed up wearing a shirt, blazer, dark jeans and dress shoes and was asked to change after a few rounds.
When his offer to switch the next day was turned down, Carlson said it “became a matter of principle to me.”
FIDE confirmed in a statement that the 34-year-old had been fined $200 (£159) and said its rules had been “fairly” enforced. They gave the example of another player who was fined the same day before changing his shoes.
Carlsen is a five-time world chess champion and holds the sport’s highest ranking.
The Norwegian has long been considered a maverick in the world of chess since becoming a chess grandmaster at the age of 13.
In a now-resolved dispute with rival Hans Niemann, Carlsen withdrew from a 2022 event after Niemann beat him and then accused his American rival of cheating.
Nyman has denied the accusations and even said he would “strip naked” to prove his innocence.
The pair settled a $100m (£79m) lawsuit last August.
