Carlsen to rejoin chess championship after jeans dispute resolved
World number one chess player Magnus Carlsen says he will return to competitive chess after the sport’s governing body agreed to relax its dress code.
Carlsen withdrew from the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York on Friday, where he was defending his title, but was told he could not continue wearing jeans.
The International Chess Federation (Fide) subsequently said it would relax its dress code to allow “minor deviations from elegance” in its official list of acceptable attire.
The 34-year-old has since said he will return to competition on Monday and will continue to wear jeans while competing.
Five-time chess champion Carlsen was fined $200 (£159) last week for breaching the tournament’s dress code.
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 had already played several rounds wearing a shirt, blazer and jeans when he was told he was in violation of the dress code.
The dress code for the IFI Championship only states that men must wear “dark pants,” but jeans are not allowed if dressed in smart casual attire.
The grandmaster said he offered to change his pants the next day, but was told he needed to change immediately and declined.
Carlson subsequently withdrew from the game and said he was leaving the city.
“No one wants to back down…I’d probably go somewhere where the weather is a little better than here,” he said.
Announcing the change to the dress code on Sunday, FIFA president Arkady Dvorkovich said: “The principle is simple: the official dress code still needs to be followed, but with elegant minor deviations (which may include, in particular, attire). Matching jeans). Jackets) are allowed.”
Match staff will be asked to help judge whether clothing complies with the relaxed rules, he said, adding that he hoped players would not “ruin the festive atmosphere” of the New Year’s Eve game by “abusing this extra flexibility”.
“Oh I will definitely be playing in jeans tomorrow,” Carlson posted on social media on Sunday.
The IF has previously said its dress code is 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.
The Norwegian became a chess grandmaster at the age of 13 and has long been considered a maverick in the world of chess.
In 2023, he settled a long-running legal dispute after accusing U.S. rivals of cheating.
Carlsen made the accusation after he was unexpectedly defeated by 19-year-old chess prodigy Hans Niemann in a 2022 match.
Nyman denies the accusations and has launched a $100m (£79m) defamation lawsuit against Carlson, the website Chess.com and another American guru.
Last August, Chess.com said The lawsuit was settled out of courtCarlson now admits that Niemann did not cheat.
