- Chess champion Magnus Carlsen disqualified from the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championship over jeans
- FIDE enforces strict dress code with a $200 USD fine and tournament ban.
- The five-time world champion, in response to the ban, stated, “I’m out, Like, f**k you.
In the world of competitive sports, disqualifications usually come along with doping violations or aggressive behaviour. But probably for the first time, five times world champion and reigning World Rapid and Blitz Champion Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen was banned from the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championship in New York for an unexpected dress code violation — wearing jeans.
The incident took place during a match on Saturday where the World Chess Federation (FIDE) fined Carlsen $200 USD for breaching their formal dress code by appearing in denim. When the Norwegian champion refused to change and abide by the rules, the officials took an unprecedented step of disqualifying him from the championship. FIDE explained that Carlsen’s choice of attire violated their regulations, which are designed to maintain professionalism
Carlsen’s reaction to the disqualification was characteristically unvarnished. The champion declared,
“They can enforce their rules. That’s fine by me. And my response is that fine, then I’m out. Like, f**k you.”
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Who Is Magnus Carlsen?
Magnus Carlsen is not just any chess player; he is a chess grandmaster and is considered by many to be the best player in history. A five-time World Chess Champion, Carlsen also still dominates the rapid and blitz formats. He currently holds the record for the highest-ever Elo rating at 2882, reached in 2014, and has been the world’s top-rated player since 2011.
Having become a grandmaster at the age of 13 and qualifying for the Candidates Tournament by 15, Carlsen’s chess journey started early. His career has been filled with remarkable victories, such as his first World Championship win against Viswanathan Anand in 2013, followed by successful defenses against Anand, Sergey Karjakin, Fabiano Caruana, and Ian Nepomniachtchi in subsequent years.
What is the FIDE Dress Code?
FIDE’s dress code outlines strict rules for tournament players. For men, the attire should include a suit, trousers, dress shirt, polo shirt, formal shoes, jacket, vest, sweater, or national dress approved by the organisation. For women, this includes a suit, dress, skirt, blouse, formal trousers, and appropriate shoes and accessories.
The federation has established a tiered system of fines that differs between open and women’s events. In the Open section, players will need to pay a fine of $200 USD, while for Women’s events it is going to be $100 USD. The second offense leads to exclusion from the pairings for the next round.
In defence of their position, FIDE released a statement emphasising that their “regulations for the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, including the dress code, are designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.” The federation added that it “remains committed to promoting chess and its values, including respect for the rules that all participants agree to follow.”
The incident divided the chess community and split opinions on social media. While some praise FIDE’s determination to preserve professional standards, others have labelled the decision unacceptably rigid. As one user exclaimed on X: “This is the beginning of the end of FIDE. Y’all had a good run though.”
