Carlsen disqualified from World Rapid and Blitz for wearing jeans

Defending champion Magnus Carlsen was disqualified from the World Rapid and Blitz Championship 2024 in Wall Street, New York, on Saturday for violating FIDE's dress code.

Chief Arbiter Alex Holowzsak disqualified Carlsen after he arrived for Round 9 of the Rapid event wearing jeans, a violation of the event's long-standing regulations, and refused to change his attire despite being fined $200 and warned.

'Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen breached the dress code by wearing jeans, which are explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations for this event. The Chief Arbiter informed Mr. Carlsen of the breach, issued a $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,' FIDE, the world chess governing body, said in a statement on X.

'Earlier in the day, another participant, Mr. Ian Nepomniachtchi, was also fined for breaching the dress code by wearing sports shoes. However, Mr. Nepomniachtchi complied, changed into approved attire, and continued to play in the tournament.'

'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,' the statement added.

This incident follows another controversy involving Carlsen, who earlier in the tournament arrived two minutes late for his Round 7 game against Daniel Dardha and took additional time to adjust all the pieces.