Magnus Carlsen has announced his surprise withdrawal from the World Rapid & Blitz Championships in New York. Citing a dress code disagreement with FIDE. The five-time world champion was fined $200 after round 7 for wearing jeans. Although trying to change for the final day, he refused to change his outfit for round 9. Resulting in him not being matched for that round and withdrawing.
This is not the first time something like this has happened. Ian Nepomniachtchi previously received a similar fine for violating the clothing code. But he followed the order and continued to attend the tournament. FIDE’s continuous application of these limits led to a larger debate. Regarding the importance and impact of such policies on the sport. At the same time, FIDE argues that the rules are necessary to preserve chess’s professional image.
Magnus Carlsen’s disqualification has sparked debate about the balance between tradition and adaptability in sports regulations. Carlsen almost avoided defeat to Daniel Dardha in round 7. But bounced back with a victory against Aryan Tari in round 8. His refusal to comply with the clothing rule meant he was not matched for round 9. He later announced his withdrawal on the Take Take Take podcast. Adding that he would leave for somewhere with nicer weather.
An Unnecessary Drama at Blitz Championship
The World Chess governing body FIDE was quick to issue a statement clarifying the situation and underlining the importance of dress code regulations. They released a statement saying that “The dress code regulations are drafted by members of the FIDE Athletes Commission, which is composed of professional players and experts. These rules have been in place for years and are well-known to all participants and are communicated to them ahead of each event.”
In response to the disqualification, Carlsen expressed his discontent with the enforced dress code. He reportedly stated, “I said I’ll change tomorrow… but they said you have to change now, and it became a matter of principle for me so here we are! Honestly, I’m too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do I‘ll probably set off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer.”
