Magnus Carlsen Quits Chess Tournament After Refusing to Change Out of Jeans (cnn.com)
- Reference: 0175779921
- News link: https://games.slashdot.org/story/24/12/28/1759232/magnus-carlsen-quits-chess-tournament-after-refusing-to-change-out-of-jeans
- Source link: https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/28/sport/magnus-carlsen-quits-jeans-spt-intl/index.html
"Carlsen, the world champion from 2013 until 2023, allegedly replied, 'I'm out, f*** you,' after being informed that he would not be permitted to continue," [3]reports the Hindustan Times .
The International Chess Federation (or FIDE) "said in a statement that Carlsen breached the tournament's dress code by wearing jeans," reports CNN:
> As a result, Carlsen would not have been paired for round nine, though he could have returned for the rest of the tournament had he not decided to walk away, per Chess.com. Since he had performed poorly in the earlier rounds, there was little chance that Carlsen could have defended his title regardless....
>
> The standoff became "a matter of principle" for Carlsen, he told chess channel Take Take Take. "I haven't appealed, honestly I'm too old at this point to care too much, if this is what they want to do ... nobody wants to back down, if this is where we are, that's fine by me," he said. "I'll probably head off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer than here and that's it." He explained that he had been at a lunch meeting before heading to the tournament's second day and "barely had time to go the room, change, put on a shirt, jacket and honestly I didn't even think about the jeans."
Carlsen was also fined $200, according to the article. He has now also withdrawn from the World Blitz Championship which follows this tournament.
In [4]a statement , the FIDE said their dress code and other regulations "are designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants," and that the federation "remains committed to promoting chess and its values, including respect for the rules that all participants agree to follow."
The group's CEO [5]added "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." (They added that "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.")
CNN notes that Carlsen has already won five world rapid and seven world blitz titles in the last 10 years...
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/28/sport/magnus-carlsen-quits-jeans-spt-intl/index.html
[2] https://x.com/MagnusCarlsen/status/1872819038554148882
[3] https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/magnus-carlsen-breaks-silence-after-quitting-world-chess-championship-over-shocking-jeans-row-honestly-i-am-101735401712485.html
[4] https://x.com/FIDE_chess/status/1872787870106435883
[5] https://x.com/EmilSutovsky/status/1872791789754581438
Why should I care? (Score:2, Insightful)
Seriously.
Is there some special dress code (Score:2)
for playing chess?
Re:Is there some special dress code (Score:4, Insightful)
No, but there is at this tournament. He could have showed some respect by apologizing for obviously not being aware of the rules, but instead he decided to act like a child.
Re: (Score:1)
I'm puzzled why posts like yours are being modded down here. It appears someone with mod points has it in for dress codes.
Many events or venues have dress codes: restaurants, soirees, weddings, offices, concert halls (at least for the orchestra.) And these dress codes exist primarily to convey a certain atmosphere of respectability that fits the setting. Whoever controls the event or venue controls how it is displayed to its participants.
These tournament-organizers want to convey such an atmosphere at their
Re: (Score:1)
Is he allowed to be respectable without conforming to their weird definitions?
Re: (Score:1)
> Is he allowed to be respectable without conforming to their weird definitions?
Not if he wants to play.
Re: Is there some special dress code (Score:2)
Probably because Magnus quite reasonably first said âoeokay, Iâ(TM)m sorry, I forgot, are you okay if I show up tomorrow meeting the dress code since I donâ(TM)t have anything to wear just now?â
When they then said no they werenâ(TM)t okay with that, he said heâ(TM)d withdraw, since it was between that, and running out the door to buy new trousers and losing matches which would ruin his tournament by not showing up for matches.
I donâ(TM)t see what he could reasonably have d
Re: (Score:2)
> I don't see what he could reasonably have done differently to correct his mistake.
I do: he could have dressed appropriately in the first place.
He's a pro. This wasn't his first tournament. And surely he knew the dress code.
Re: (Score:2)
He's a pro chess player, not a pro stylist. Who even cares what they wear? People perform best in their most comfortable outfits.
Re: (Score:2)
He can read. He had access to a copy of the dress code. He contravened it. No stylist expertise required.
As for "[w]ho even cares what they wear" -- apparently the tournament organizers do. And they're allowed to.
Re: Is there some special dress code (Score:2)
Except if one would actually bother to read the dresscode for men rules, it says jeans are ok, but 'torn jeans' aren't. And his jeans weren't torn jeans. So there is something really fishy going on.
Re: (Score:2)
> Except if one would actually bother to read the dresscode for men rules, it says jeans are ok, but 'torn jeans' aren't. And his jeans weren't torn jeans. So there is something really fishy going on.
From quonset's post below (which quotes the rules):
> “Sports sneakers, T-shirts, any kind of jeans , any kind of inappropriate cloth (e.g. torn cloth or cloth with holes, unclean cloth), sport caps, sun glasses” are not accepted.
Re: (Score:2)
The idea that he wasn't aware of the rules, or that he didn't know what we was doing, is laughable.
Like he plays chess, he's thought through the possibilities and has a strategy and aims.
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> for playing chess?
Yes. I came across [1]this article [nytimes.com] from last year where a female player was told to change out of her plaid, canvas Burberry sneakers with white rubber soles. The article says:
> The first rule of FIDE’s dress code for the tournament is “dress to impress,” the federation’s website states. The dress code is supposed to promote a “good and positive image of chess” and “shall be strictly enforced,” according to the website.
> Generally, sneakers are allowed, but “sports sneakers” are not. The difference between the two is not clearly stated in the dress code.
> For women in particular, the following is not allowed: “sport’s sneakers, clacking shoes, any kind of jeans, any kind of inappropriate cloth (e.g. torn cloth or cloth with holes, unclean cloth), sport caps, sun glasses, revealing attire.”
> The rules for men are similar. “Sports sneakers, T-shirts, any kind of jeans , any kind of inappropriate cloth (e.g. torn cloth or cloth with holes, unclean cloth), sport caps, sun glasses” are not accepted.
Note the bolded part in the last paragraph. This would be the rule Carlsen violated and, unlike the female player, chose not to change. I haven't found the specific dress code policy, [2]but this [fide.com] says the rules take effect after July of 2022. Under 11.5.3 it states jeans are not allowed at tournaments.
However, [3]this article [thesportsgrail.com] about Carlsen
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/world/asia/chess-fine-shoes-kazarian.html
[2] https://tec.fide.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TEC-NEW-Chapter-2021.pdf
[3] https://thesportsgrail.com/what-is-regulation-title-3-of-fides-dress-code-policy-fine-punishment-for-violation-and-why-did-magnus-carlsen-withdraw-from-the-chess-rapid-and-blitz-championships-2024/
Re: (Score:2)
Those rules don't say anything about playing naked.
Re: (Score:2)
> Those rules don't say anything about playing naked.
"Revealing attire" implicitly covers "no attire" so I'll say yes, they do say something about playing naked. ;-)
Re: (Score:2)
Whats wrong with sun glasses?
I might have a problem if it was held outdoors and sun glasses weren't allowed.
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These old fogeys are pathetic
Re: (Score:1)
> for playing chess?
At the best-in-the-world professional level, yes. Like most non-contact professions at that level I’d imagine. International board rooms. Gxx summits.
But what will really bake your noodle, is wondering why there are women and girls divisions. Is there some special gender required for playing chess? If not, why the measured segregation?
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> why there are women and girls divisions.
[1]Judit Polgar [wikipedia.org] is the highest-rated female player of all time at 2675.
More than 400 men have ratings higher than that.
Without a separate division, women would be completely shut out of top-level tournaments.
The reason for the gender gap is controversial. It may be nature, nurture, institutional sexism, or some combination. But there is certainly a big gap.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judit_Polg%C3%A1r
Re: (Score:2)
> for playing chess?
After extensive research watching the first part of [1] From Russia With Love [imdb.com], I conclude the chess dress code requires men to wear a suit, tie, and to smoke cigarettes. Eyeglasses are strongly encouraged, but not required.
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057076/
Re: (Score:1)
Not usually, and I can't imagine why there should be. It sounds as though these events are falling into the hands of a bunch of pompous jerks.
'FIDE said their dress code and other regulations "are designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants," and that the federation "remains committed to promoting chess and its values, including respect for the rules that all participants agree to follow."'
There is no obvious relationship between "professionalism" or "fairness" and being formally dr
Hope the best for him (Score:3)
Love Magnus, but... He seems tired of the game; for instance he would rather play variations like random assignment of back-row pieces.
He knows the dress rules, and he apparently got some slack the previous day.
Maybe a break is just what he needs. No disrespect to his talent.
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On the other hand, fuck 'em.
Chess Needs No Dress Code (Score:3, Insightful)
Chess is a game. It's participants are players, not employees. This idea that players need to dress up in jacket and slacks in order to play a game is outright ridiculous. This should be a wake-up call to FIDE. It's requirements are stupid and needless. The problem is that the sort of people who implement these codes of conduct rarely question themselves or change their opinion. FIDE is likely to learn nothing.
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Snooker has a dress code, I don't think chess needs it. I think snooker needs it though.
Is snooker any less of a thinky game? Should chess be more snooker? I don't think so, but it looks like a class statement more than for any good reason.
Re: (Score:2)
> it looks like a class statement more than for any good reason.
Here in Silicon Valley, when you walk into a meeting, you can find the CEO by looking for the most casually dressed person in the room.
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Is this the same fake respect that is ignored by having a speakerphone conversation in public or on an airplane?
Where do you draw the line? Notice that everyone still wears clothes in public, that too is a respectful dress code.
-Entitlement.
Re: (Score:2)
> Chess is a game. It's participants are players, not employees. This idea that players need to dress up in jacket and slacks in order to play a game is outright ridiculous. This should be a wake-up call to FIDE. It's requirements are stupid and needless. The problem is that the sort of people who implement these codes of conduct rarely question themselves or change their opinion. FIDE is likely to learn nothing.
Naked chess it is then.
(YouChess PPV Championships 2027 Commercial Ad) ”Wanna really put a fuckin’ on your player in the OTB position? Use Magnus-scented Magnum condoms. Sponsored by the OnlyFans channel Twitch wishes it had; Ch-A$$ TeeVee.”
Re: (Score:2)
Perhaps. I have no skin in the game. But I do note that shogi (Japanese chess) while having no formal dress code generally everyone wears yukata / kimono i.e. traditional dress. There seems to be a kind of fashion associated with igo (Japanese checkers, where Othello came from). And there are apparently dress codes for some other sports like PGA and billiards championships (non-athletic wear, slacks I think). So it depends on the sport. It is not surprising, though probably irrelevant to the play, that a ch
Every sport has its uniform (Score:2)
It's a FIDE event, which meants the game is being played a sporting event, and all sports have their uniform. If someone from the Philadelphia Eagles shows up and tries to play while wearing a coat and tie, that player will be told to either wear a proper uniform or be ejected from the game.
Also... he joined their organization... they didn't join him. If he wants to wear jeans to to a competition, he can start his own club, with blackjack, and hookers.
A matter of principle? (Score:1)
So, it's a matter of principle to violate their dress code, that he knew of in advance? Personally, I'm generally not a fan of dress codes, but if one doesn't like them for an event, don't attend. Someone mentioned that he may have gotten some slack about his lack of slacks on another day, but that's not an excuse to continue the behavior once informed. Alternatively, maybe he wasn't doing as well as he liked and this was just a convenient excuse to back out...?
Re: (Score:1)
nonsense, a person can attend "an event" in the broad sense and ignore dress code, and see what happens.
Imagine having a dress code for a board game, pffft. those chess event organizers are full of themselves.
Re: A matter of principle? (Score:1)
The rules are the rules. If you dont like them then dont fucking play. Everywhere has minimum dress codes other than nudist beaches and yours is clearly set at young teenager level with an attitude to match. Grow up.
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you're an idiot. its fucking chess and the FIDE are actually retarded.
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No shirt, no shoes, no Scrabble
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I'm looking forward to how this trend will develop. Maybe at future athletics (track and field) championships, competitors will be required to wear bow ties (not tartan) and spats. Or whatever the organisers choose to impose on them.
Sports events are about the competitors, not the organisers. (Who usually do very nicely out of them).
Re: (Score:2)
so you don't know that athletic events all have a dress code? Every single sport have a dress code when it comes to competition events.
Malicious rumors (Score:2)
He and chess.com spent the next weeks spreading rumors that the FIDE was cheating.
ludicrous dress code (Score:2)
This dress code is ludicrous. Players will play their best when they are comfortable. FIDE should be interested in the best chess, not in some idiotic idea of professional dress.
Lycra is the solution (Score:2)
After reading theit dress code, it doesn’t mention Lycra, so I would have put flashy lycra like when I go biking.
Powdered wigs (Score:2)
Was it crotchless jeans or something equally bizarre? I could understand asking him to change pants if his ass was hanging out, but asking him to change out of regular jeans?
He "quit"? (Score:2)
He "quit" after being informed that he would not be permitted to continue . Words have meanings.
Re: (Score:2)
> He "quit" after being informed that he would not be permitted to continue . Words have meanings.
He was told he would not be permitted to continue dressed as he was. He chose to quit instead of change his clothes.
Yes, words have meanings. And the manner in which you display them can change the meaning, as you demonstrated.
Was he about to lose again? (Score:2, Informative)
Last time he got beat by a kid he quit, baselessly accused his opponent of cheating, used his influence to get colleagues who shared his financial fortunes to back up his claim, got sued for $100 million, and finally forced to admit he had nothing.
What a cry baby.
Re: (Score:2)
Off topic.
NOTHING WRONG WITH HIS PANTS! WTF?!?!?! (Score:1, Insightful)
seriously though good on him, fuck those snobs.
i'd do the same thing, every single fucking time.
A dress code for a chess competiion? (Score:1)
Who cares what they wear as long as they are dressed? This is just stupid imho.
Some misunderstandings here. (Score:2)
> As a result, Carlsen would not have been paired for round nine, though he could have returned for the rest of the tournament had he not decided to walk away, per Chess.com. Since he had performed poorly in the earlier rounds, there was little chance that Carlsen could have defended his title regardless....
He had started badly, 2 1/2 points out of 5 on the first day.
This happened on the second day, I'm not sure how his first game went but then he was told to change - I'm also not sure how long it would have
Re: (Score:2)
Seems he's so overloaded that he can't even pay attention to his clothing let alone win anything so it was a nice opportunity to bow out.
FIDE - Another European joke (Score:1)
Carlsen is a chess genius.
FIDE is a worn joke.
I'll take Carlsen in jeans vs stuffy puffy eurotrash "leaders of chess" anyday.
Fuck the FIDE. Good Job, Carlsen.
I guess he now has a future (Score:4, Funny)
doing Levi's commercials.