Magnus Carlsen, widely regarded as the world’s greatest chess player, has found himself at the center of a storm during the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championship. The controversy revolves around an unexpected dress code violation that resulted in Carlsen forfeiting a critical round and subsequently withdrawing from the event.
The drama unfolded on Day 2 of the tournament, held from December 26 to 28, 2024. Magnus Carlsen, who had a challenging Day 1 with draws against Awonder Liang, Gleb Dudin, and Aleksandr Shimanov, as well as a loss to Denis Lazavik, walked into the playing arena wearing jeans. This choice of attire violated the tournament’s long-standing dress code regulations, which explicitly prohibit jeans.
The tournament arbiters promptly asked Carlsen to change his attire. However, the reigning champion refused to comply, resulting in his forfeiture of round nine and a $200 fine. Despite not being disqualified from the entire event, Carlsen chose to withdraw, marking an abrupt and dramatic end to his campaign.
In a statement, FIDE emphasized that their decision was impartial and consistent with established rules:
“Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen breached the dress code by wearing jeans, which are explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations for this event. The Chief Arbiter informed Mr. Carlsen of the breach, issued a $200 fine, and requested that he change his attire. Unfortunately, Mr. Carlsen declined, and as a result, he was not paired for round nine.”
Magnus Carlsen did not hold back in expressing his frustration. In a widely circulated interview with Chess YouTuber and Twitch streamer Levy Rozman, also known as “GothamChess,” Carlsen made his feelings about FIDE clear, even dropping an expletive to emphasize his discontent:
“Honestly, my patience with them (FIDE) was not very big to begin with. And it’s okay, they can enforce their rules. That’s fine by me. And my response is that fine, then, ‘I’m out.’ Like, ‘F* you.’ I don’t think anything more has to be said.”*
Carlsen explained that while he had been given the option to change his attire after the third round, he viewed the sudden enforcement as a matter of principle. His decision to stand firm on this issue ultimately led to his withdrawal.
This controversy isn’t Carlsen’s first clash with FIDE. Both he and fellow Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura have been critical of the organization, accusing it of stifling innovation in the chess world. A recent point of contention includes FIDE’s handling of the Freestyle Chess tournament, which some players feel has been unfairly targeted.
As the dust settles on the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championship, Carlsen’s decision has ignited discussions about player rights, the rigidity of regulations, and FIDE’s governance in modern chess. Whether this incident will lead to meaningful changes or remain a footnote in chess history remains to be seen.