World No. 1 chess player Magnus Carlsen has confirmed he will participate in the World Blitz Chess Championship after initially withdrawing from the tournament due to a dispute over
the dress code.
The controversy began on Friday during the World Rapid Chess Championship, where Carlsen refused to change out of jeans, which the International Chess Federation (FIDE) stated violated the tournament’s dress code. As a result, Carlsen chose to leave the rapid tournament and initially announced he would not compete in the blitz competition scheduled to start Monday in New York.
However, in an interview with the chess channel Take Take Take on Sunday, the Norwegian grandmaster revealed that “fruitful” discussions with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and the tournament's main sponsor had led to his decision to rejoin the competition. Despite the resolution, Carlsen emphasized that he would continue wearing jeans.
A matter of principle
Carlsen, a five-time world rapid champion and seven-time world blitz champion, was fined $200 for wearing jeans during the rapid tournament and was instructed by the Chief Arbiter to change his attire. He explained that he had come straight from a lunch meeting and “barely had time” to change before the second day of play.
Refusing to comply with the dress code, Carlsen walked away from the tournament, calling it a “matter of principle.” FIDE defended its actions, stating, “This decision was made impartially and applies equally to all players.” The organization also cited a similar instance with fellow competitor Ian Nepomniachtchi, who violated the dress code by wearing sports shoes but continued to play after changing.
Rule change and resolution
On Sunday, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich addressed the controversy in a statement, expressing regret over how the situation unfolded.
“It is unfortunate that the implementation of dress-code rules, while being legally sound and consistent, has left some feeling this is disproportionate and caused the situation everyone would have preferred to avoid,” Dvorkovich said. He also announced an update to the rules for the upcoming blitz tournament, introducing more flexibility for officials to assess attire suitability.
“The principle is simple: it is still required to follow the official dress code, but elegant minor deviations (that may, in particular, include appropriate jeans matching the jacket) are allowed,” Dvorkovich explained.
A History of tensions
Carlsen, who has had numerous disagreements with FIDE over the years, initially criticized the organization harshly after quitting the rapid tournament. “My patience with FIDE wasn’t very big to begin with,” he remarked. However, on Sunday, he tempered his stance, clarifying that his frustrations were directed at specific individuals within FIDE.
“The situation was badly mishandled on their side,” Carlsen said in the Take Take Take interview, acknowledging that some of his earlier comments were overly broad.
In his statement, Dvorkovich acknowledged the broader implications of the dispute, stating, “The concerns raised by Magnus Carlsen highlight the need for further discussion about how to modernize the current approach, to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.”
With the controversy resolved and the dress code updated, Carlsen will now return to compete in the blitz tournament, bringing a sense of closure to a tumultuous episode in the world of competitive chess. Photo by Lennart Ootes, Wikimedia commons.