December 28th 2024.
Magnus Carlsen, a five-time world champion in chess, recently received a fine and was ultimately disqualified from the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York. This was due to his violation of FIDE's dress code, as he arrived at the tournament wearing jeans. The defending champion was initially fined $200 for this offense, as jeans are explicitly prohibited under tournament regulations. However, when the chief arbiter, Alex Holowczak, requested that Carlsen change his attire immediately, he refused. As a result, he was disqualified and not allowed to participate in Round 9 of the Rapid championship.
Carlsen, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the game, had agreed to adhere to the dress code starting the next day. However, he was not willing to change his attire on the spot, which led to his disqualification. In a statement, FIDE emphasized that their dress code rules are well-communicated to all participants and are in place to maintain professionalism in the sport. They explained that these rules were drafted by members of the FIDE Athletes Commission, which is made up of professional players and experts. The dress code regulations have been in place for quite some time and are familiar to all players, as they are communicated before each event.
FIDE also took measures to ensure that the players' accommodation was within walking distance from the playing venue, making adherence to the dress code more convenient. However, despite these efforts, Carlsen still violated the dress code by wearing jeans. As a result, he was fined and asked to change his attire, but he ultimately declined. This decision was made impartially and applied equally to all players.
Interestingly, Carlsen was not the only player to receive a penalty for violating the dress code. Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi also faced a similar offense, but he complied and changed his attire, allowing him to continue in the tournament. However, Carlsen, who was "upset" with the turn of events, announced that he will not participate in the Blitz section of the championship. He expressed his frustration with FIDE's dress code policies and stated that he wanted nothing to do with the organization. In an interview with Norwegian broadcasting channel NRK, Carlsen said, "I am pretty tired of FIDE, so I want no more of this. I don't want anything to do with them." He also apologized to his fans and admitted that his decision may seem foolish to some, but he believed it was necessary to take a stand against FIDE's policies.
Carlsen further elaborated on the situation, explaining that he was willing to change his attire the following day, but FIDE was not willing to compromise. He stated, "I said I don't want to bother changing now, but I can change until tomorrow, that's fine. But they didn't want to compromise." He expressed his disappointment with FIDE and maintained his stance on the matter. It was a difficult decision for Carlsen, but he believed it was necessary to stand up against the strict dress code policies of FIDE.
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