A scandal broke out at the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York due to a violation of the dress code by two leading grandmasters, “MIR 24” reports.
Former world champion Magnus Carlsen showed up to a game in jeans, for which he was fined 200 USD. After refusing to change, the Norwegian chess player was disqualified.
Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi also faced sanctions - he was given a similar fine for sneakers. Unlike Carlsen, he agreed to change his shoes and continued to participate in the tournament.
“I hope the 200 USD fine goes to a fund for research into fashion in chess,” Nepomniachtchi noted ironically on social media.
Representatives of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) made an official statement, emphasizing that the dress code rules have existed for many years, are known to all participants and are applied without exception.
It is noteworthy that a similar incident occurred last year at a tournament in Samarkand, when chess player Anna-Maya Kazaryan was fined for appearing in sneakers.
