Magnus Carlsen, the world’s leading chess player, is turning an incident from last year’s World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships into a charitable opportunity.
This week, the Norwegian chess grandmaster revealed plans to auction off his Italian designer jeans that sparked a notable dress code controversy during the December tournament.
Despite the governing body of the tournament deciding to relax the dress code, Carlsen chose to resign from the New York event after paying a $200 penalty rather than swapping out his jeans.

Now, fans of chess and those who followed the “JeansGate” debacle have an opportunity to acquire the size 32 regular fit Corneliani jeans that gained unexpected fame.
The auction is set to conclude on March 1, and although they are categorized as pre-owned, the jeans are described as being in “good” condition.
As of February 21, the highest bid had reached an impressive $8,100 on eBay.

All the proceeds from this auction will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, a prominent youth mentoring organization that operates through local chapters across all 50 states and twelve other countries.
The auction site highlighted that the funds raised will support initiatives focused on “youth mentorship at chess clinics, community events, and beyond,” aiming to foster connection, belonging, and enrich the lives of young individuals through the game of chess.