Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen rejoins tournament he quit over wearing jeans - after dress code change

30 December 2024, 09:55 | Updated: 30 December 2024, 11:01

World chess number one Magnus Carlsen is back in a major tournament after he quit because he was told to change his jeans.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has now relaxed its dress code to allow "elegant minor deviations".

Those deviations "may, in particular, include appropriate jeans matching the jacket", the new rules state.

Carlsen was defending his titles at the Fide World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when he was told to change his trousers.

He had been to a lunch meeting before the competition and had to change quickly.

"I put on a shirt, jacket and honestly like I didn't even think about jeans," he told chess publication Take Take Take.

After playing a few rounds of the tournament, he was told he would face a fine because of his jeans, and then was told he wouldn't be able to play at all if he didn't change.

The Norwegian refused and left the competition on Saturday, saying he'd go somewhere where the weather was a "bit nicer", adding: "I am too old at this point to care too much."

FIDE quickly rewrote the rules after the spat and Carlsen will now return to the championships, which the federation described as "great news for the chess world".

"The situation was badly mishandled on their side," said Carlsen in an interview with Take Take Take.

"I was about to book my plane tickets."

But he told the publication he was pleased to be playing again, as he loved the tournament.

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The chess federation has warned players against taking liberties with their outfits.

"I sincerely hope that nobody would try to undermine the festive mood, including by abusing this additional flexibility," said Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE president in a statement.

"Special assistants" will be on hand to help judges decide whether players' outfits are acceptable, according to Mr Dvorkovich.

Five-time World Chess champion Carlsen was previously involved in a dispute with rival Hans Niemann.

He accused Niemann of cheating after he was beaten at a tournament in 2022, but Niemann denied the allegations and said he would "strip fully naked" to prove his innocence.

The pair settled a $100m (£79m) lawsuit in August last year.

(c) Sky News 2024: Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen rejoins tournament he quit over wearing jeans - after dress code change