FIDE Deputy President Viswanathan Anand said Magnus Carlsen’s refusal to follow the rules at the World Rapid Chess Championship led to his unexpected exit from the event following a breach of the dress code.
Anand was responding to chess website, ‘Chessbase India’, after World No. 1 Carlsen pulled out of the event, upset by FIDE not pairing him in a round and slapping a fine of $200 for wearing jeans. “Obviously, it was not a step we wanted to take. But we offered several options,” Anand said.
Five-time world champion Anand said the chief arbiter urged Carlsen to change into an acceptable attire before the ninth round. “But he said that on princple he was not going to do it. He himself stated that it was a matter of principle for him, and so the arbiter simply applied the rules and we supported that,” Anand said.
When asked if punishing Carlsen was any way connected to the cold war between the Norwegian and FIDE, Anand said: “There is stuff going on behind, but I would like to focus on that we followed the rules and the fact that Magnus refused to follow it left us with little choice. It is not connected to anything else that is going on.”
