Chess great Magnus Carlsen walked out of the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York on Friday after governing body FIDE banned the Norwegian from a round of the tournament because he wore jeans.
In a statement, the International Chess Federation (or Fédération Internationale des Echecs) said its dress rules were designed to “ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.”
FIDE added that it fined Carlsen $200 and gave him the opportunity to change into proper attire, which the world number 1 rejected.
Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and 2023, said he had a working lunch before the round and had to change quickly.
“I put on a shirt, a jacket and honestly, I didn’t even think about jeans, I even changed my shoes,” Carlsen told Take Take Take.
“I didn’t even think about it. …First of all, I got fined, which is good, and then I got a warning that I wouldn’t be matched if I didn’t go change. They said I could do it after the third round today.
“I said, ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s okay with you;’ I didn’t even realize it today,” but they said, “Well, you need to change now. » At that moment, it became a matter of principle for me.
The 34-year-old added that he would not appeal the decision: “Honestly, I’m too old at this point to care too much.
“If that’s what they want to do…I guess it goes both ways, doesn’t it – no one wants to back down – and that’s where we are.” That suits me. I’ll probably go somewhere where the weather is a little nicer than here.