The Blitz Chess Championships, which are currently taking place in New York, were shaken up by an unexpected departure on Saturday December 28: that of the Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen, excluded from the competition for non-compliance with the dress code.
In front of the board or outside, the rules of chess are strict and no one can break them. Not even the Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen, who had to leave the Blitz Chess Championships after being pinned by a referee for clothing defects, reports the specialized media Europe Chess. The 34-year-old initially tried to play by the rules: “I said I would change tomorrow, but they said I had to change now and it became a matter of principle for me. Honestly, I’m too old to care if that’s what they want to do, I’d probably go somewhere where the weather is a little nicer,” he said.
There is no question for the International Chess Federation (FIDE), organizer of the event, to bow to this “question of principle”. Magnus Carlsen therefore decided to leave: “I’m tired of FIDE, so I don’t want this anymore. I don’t want anything to do with them anymore. I’m sorry to everyone, maybe it’s a stupid idea, but I don’t think it’s fun,” he said. For its part, FIDE expressed itself in a press release published this Saturday, December 28: “Mr. Magnus Carlsen violated the dress code by wearing jeans, which is explicitly prohibited by the regulations.” It also indicates that another player agreed to change shoes after being called to order the same day. “These rules, in force for years, are known to all participants and are communicated to them before each event,” she adds.
Behind a story of pants, a deeper conflict
According to the Spanish daily El País, relations between Magnus Carlsen and FIDE were already strained before this incident. The Scandinavian player had indeed encountered a refusal from FIDE to change the rules of the classical chess championship in 2022, then renounced the world title. He has now turned his attention to rapid chess, blitz and freestyle chess. On December 22, he declared on his X account that he had reached an agreement with FIDE so that chess players could participate in the world championships of classical chess and freestyle chess. But he declared the opposite after leaving the Blitz Chess Championships, accusing FIDE of hostile behavior.
published on December 28 at 5:20 p.m., Floréane Marinier, 6Medias
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