NEW YORK: Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen was first fined and then disqualified from the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship here for his refusal to comply with FIDE's dress code after turning up in jeans.
Defending champion Magnus Carlsen was fined Dollar 200 for wearing jeans, which are explicitly prohibited under tournament rules. When Carlsen refused to change his attire immediately after being instructed by chief arbiter Alex Holowczak, he was disqualified and did not participate in Round 9 of the Rapid Championship at Wall Street.
One of the game's greatest players, the Norwegian ace had agreed to follow the dress from the next day but was not ready to do it immediately, resulting in his disqualification.
In a statement, the game's global governing body FIDE emphasised that the dress code rules are well-communicated to all participants and designed to ensure professionalism.
"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. FIDE has also ensured that the players' accommodation is within a short walking distance from the playing venue, making adherence to the rules more convenient." FIDE said in the statement which was posted on 'X'.
The Chief Arbiter informed Mr. Carlsen of the breach, issued a USD 200 fine, and requested that he change his attire. Unfortunately, Mr. Carlsen declined, and as a result, he was not paired for round nine. This decision was made impartially and applies equally to all players.
Earlier, Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi was also penalised for a similar violation but he complied by changing his attire, allowing him to continue in the event.
Meanwhile, "upset" with the turn of events, Carlsen said he won't participate in the Blitz section of the championship as he is "pretty tired" of FIDE's dress code policies.
"I am pretty tired of FIDE, so I want no more of this. I don't want anything to do with them. I am sorry to everyone at home, maybe it's a stupid principle, but I don't think it's any fun," Carlsen told the Norwegian broadcasting channel NRK.
"I said I don't want to bother changing now, but I can change until tomorrow, that's fine. But they didn't want to compromise. I've reached a point where I am pretty upset with FIDE, so I didn't want to either. Then that's how it goes," he added.