Magnus Carlsen, the world’s leading chess player, is set to return to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after the International Chess Federation relaxed its strict dress code. This decision follows an incident where Carlsen faced a fine and was barred from competing in a late-round game at another tournament for opting to wear jeans instead of adhering to standard attire.
Acknowledging the situation, Arkady Dvorkovich, the president of the International Chess Federation, released a statement on Sunday indicating that tournament officials for the World Blitz Championship would be considering the allowance of “appropriate jeans” paired with jackets, as well as some “elegant minor deviations” from the existing dress regulations. Dvorkovich noted that Carlsen’s actions, which included withdrawing from the tournament on Friday, underscored the necessity for ongoing discussions to adapt the rules so they reflect chess’s modern, diverse nature.
Carlsen took to social media Sunday to confirm his participation in the World Blitz Championship, reiterating his choice to wear jeans. “I believe the situation was handled poorly by the organizers,” stated the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster. He expressed his enthusiasm for blitz chess—a quick version of the game—and emphasized his desire for fans to enjoy the matches. His recent communications with the federation following Friday’s events gave him hope for a more flexible approach.
In a video shared on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel, Carlsen remarked, “We essentially want the same thing. We want players to feel comfortable, while still being presentable.” The controversy began when Carlsen donned jeans and a sportcoat at the Rapid World Championship, an event running concurrently with the blitz competition. The chess federation’s traditional rules state that jeans are banned at such tournaments, with players conveniently located nearby to change attire if necessary.
As the story unfolded, an official fined Carlsen $200 and requested that he change his pants, which he declined. Consequently, he was not matched for a ninth-round game—a decision that sparked further discussion as another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, had already faced disciplinary action that day for wearing sports shoes but complied with requests to change and continued to compete.
Carlsen claimed he proposed to wear alternative attire the following day; however, officials were inflexible. He noted that the situation evolved into a matter of principle for him, ultimately leading to his withdrawal from both the rapid and blitz championships. In his recent video, Carlsen raised questions about whether he had genuinely violated any rules and pointed out that changing clothes would have interrupted his mental focus between games. He expressed his view of the fine as “unbelievably harsh,” adding, “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” affirming, “I stand by that.”
