The top-ranked chess player in the world, Magnus Carlsen, quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York on Friday due to a dispute over the dress code. Carlsen refused to change out of his jeans, and when he was forced to forfeit a round, Carlsen left the tournament.
On the "Take Take Take" podcast, Carlsen explained that he had a lunch meeting prior to his first round on Friday, and he wasn't aware he had to change out of his jeans. Following his first or second round, a representative from chess' governing body, FIDE, informed him he was in violation of the dress code.
"First of all, I got a fine, which is fine," Carlsen said. "Then I got a warning that I would not be paired if I did not go change my clothes. They said that I could do it after the third round today. I said, 'I'll change it tomorrow, if that's OK. I didn't even realize it today.' They said, 'Well, you have to change now.'"
Once FIDE pressed the issue and informed him he would essentially have to forfeit a round, Carlsen stood his ground.
"At that point, it became a bit of a matter of principle for me," Carlsen said.
Carlsen wound up leaving the World Rapid and Blitz altogether, bowing out of the tournament due to his frustration with FIDE's strict enforcement of the dress code.
FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky also shared his side of the story with "Take Take Take," saying Carlsen had ample opportunity to change out of his jeans.
"Unfortunately, Magnus admitted himself that it became a matter of principle at some moment. It's not like he was not given enough time," Sutkovsky said. "It's not like he was told to change immediately. He did have a lot of time to go do so. Unfortunately, he just decided that he would not do so."
Sutovsky added that Carlsen was not the only player warned and fined due to dress code violations. He asserted it would have been unfair for Carlsen to be held to a different standard.
"Several players were already fined and warned, and it would be simply wrong to have even Magnus ... play under a different set of rules," Sutovsky said. "We were very flexible. When the chief arbiter warned Magnus, he just didn't care."
Sutovsky even asserted that Carlsen's poor play on Thursday was a factor in his decision not to adhere to the dress code and pull out of the tournament.
"Actually, for Magnus, I think it was out of a combination of how he played in this tournament and his general attitude toward cooperation," Sutovsky said.
Carlsen did admit that Thursday was not his finest performance. He lost one of his games, and the No. 1 ranked chess player in the world admitted that he was lucky not to lose more. However, he didn't say that was a factor in his decision to quit.
"Obviously, this has not been the best tournament for me," Carlsen said. "Lost one game. Could have lost a couple more. Generally was not playing well, a bit out of control."
Carlsen is no stranger to controversy in the chess world. In 2023, Carlsen accused opponent Hans Niemann of cheating. That led to Niemann suing Carlsen, among others, but the lawsuit was dismissed in court.
