- The World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships are taking place in New York
- The current wolrd chess number one has decided to pull out both tournaments
- A bizarre rule to do with dress code meant the player did not want to continue
A world chess champion has quit one of the sport’s most major competitions due to not adhering to a bizarre rule.
Magnus Carlsen, the world chess number one, was set to continue the defence of his FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on Friday.
The chess legend had reached round nine before a dress code regulation infringement landed him a fine.
Carlsen arrived at the venue in New York wearing jeans but was told that he must change immeditaley, while being fined £159.
The five-time world champion claimed he had come from a lunch and offered to change to trousers the next day.
However, after being told he would not be allowed to continue in the World Rapid Championships, he reportedly responded ‘I’m out, f*** you.’
Chess icon Magnus Carlsen quit a major championship after bein g told to take off his jeans
Carlsen told officials he would wear trousers the next day, but was told to change immediatley
The multiple world champion responded ‘I’m out, f*** you’ when told he could not continue in his attire
‘I said I’ll change tomorrow … but they said you have to change now it became a matter of principle for me so here we are,’ explained Carlsen.
‘Honestly I’m too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do I’ll probably set off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer.’
The Norwegian grandmaster is the most high-profile name in chess, having won 64 major titles in the sport.
The 34-year-old has already won 12 blitz and rapid championship titles combined in the past, however, his career has not been without controversy.
The grandmaster settled a lengthy legal dispute, in which he accused rival Hans Niemann of cheating, back in 2022. The lawsuit went on to be settled for $100m (£79m) in August of last year.
And now Carlsen has been plunged into the spotlight once again after turning up to New York in a shirt, blazer, dark jeans.
He had played a few rounds before officials noticed his attire, and then the drama began to unfold.
FIDE chief executive, Emil Sutovsky, has since come out to confirm that Carlsen was not banned from the tournaments.
Carlsen is a highly-regarded in the chess world due to his magnitude of success in the sport
Carlsen will now not compete in World Blitz Chess Championships as a ‘matter of principle’
‘FIDE did not ban Magnus from the tournament,’ Sutovsky wrote on X. ‘He was not paired in round 9. He can continue tomorrow.
‘We gave Magnus more than enough time to change. But as he had stated himself in his interview – it became a matter of principle for him.
‘Rules are applicable to all the participants, and it would be unfair towards all players who respected the dress-code, and those who were previously fined.
‘The dress-code was known way before, and it was suggested by Athletes Commission, consisting of grandmasters.
‘Said that, I am sorry for the situation that occured – FIDE was very welcoming to Magnus and his family, and we never wanted it to explode. However I fully back a decision of the Chief Arbiter Alex Holowczak.’