World Rapid & Blitz Championship 2024: FIDE relaxes dress code after ‘jeangate’; Carlsen set to return to competition

World Rapid & Blitz Championship 2024: FIDE relaxes dress code after ‘jeangate’; Carlsen set to return to competition

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Sunday relaxed its dress code for players after world number one Magnus Carlsen was fined for wearing jeans at an event in New York.

The 34-year-old Norwegian was asked to change his clothes Friday at the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.

The FIDE said Carlsen, a five-time world chess champion, rejected the opportunity to switch out of his jeans, and he was issued a fine of USD 200 (192 euros).

He subsequently withdrew from the competition saying: “Honestly, I am too old at this point to care too much.

“Nobody wants to back down… I’ll probably head off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer than here.”

Announcing the change in policy world chess boss Arkadi Dvorkovitch said: “I took the decision to trial an approach to provide more flexibility to FIDE officials in judgements regarding the suitability of the attire.

“The principle is simple: it is still required to follow the official dress-code, but elegant minor deviations (that may, in particular, include appropriate jeans matching the jacket) are allowed.”

Carlsen, the reigning champion in both the rapid and blitz chess competitions, pulled out of the rapid section of the competition but may now return for the blitz event which starts on Tuesday.

“Long story short…we can talk about how it got there, but yeah, I am playing at least for one more day here in New York. If I do well, another day after that,” Carlsen said in an interview posted by Take Take Take’s X account.