NEW DELHI: World No.1 and five-time world chess champion, Magnus Carlsen on Friday confronted an sudden exit from the World Fast and Blitz Chess Championships, igniting debate throughout the chess neighborhood.
The controversy arose after the Norwegian Grandmaster was not paired for his Spherical 9 match after his refusal to adjust to FIDE’s strict gown code in the course of the occasion held in New York.
Carlsen, the defending champion on the match, was penalised USD 200 for sporting denims, a garment explicitly forbidden underneath the match’s apparel guidelines.
Carlsen’s unwillingness to vary his outfit as instructed by Chief Arbiter Alex Holowczak resulted in his exit from Spherical 9 of the championship.
In an announcement, FIDE clarified its stance: “The gown code laws are drafted by members of the FIDE Athletes Fee, which consists {of professional} gamers and consultants. These guidelines have been in place for years and are well-known to all individuals and are communicated to them forward of every occasion.”
FIDE CEO Grandmaster Emil Sutovsky weighed in on the incident, providing readability amid rising brouhaha across the incident.
In a submit on X, Sutovsky wrote, “FIDE didn’t ban Magnus from the match. He was not paired in spherical 9. He can proceed tomorrow.”
Nonetheless, Sutovsky additionally identified that Carlsen’s non-compliance stemmed from what the participant himself known as a matter of “precept”. “We gave Magnus greater than sufficient time to vary. However as he had acknowledged himself in his interview – it turned a matter of precept for him,” Sutovsky added.
Sutovsky additional defended the Chief Arbiter’s actions, stating, “Guidelines are relevant to all individuals and it will be unfair to those that adhered to them or have been penalised earlier. The dress-code was recognized method earlier than, and it was prompt by Athletes Fee, consisting of grandmasters. Stated that, I’m sorry for the state of affairs that occurred – FIDE was very welcoming to Magnus and his household, and we by no means wished it to blow up. Nonetheless I absolutely again the choice of the Chief Arbiter Alex Holowczak.”
READ ALSO: Why D Gukesh is not going to play in 2024 World Fast and Blitz Championships
Regardless of being nonetheless eligible to play within the match, Carlsen, on his half, introduced that he would skip the Blitz part of the occasion, expressing frustration with FIDE.
“I’m fairly uninterested in FIDE, so I would like no extra of this. I do not need something to do with them. I’m sorry to everybody at dwelling, possibly it is a silly precept, however I do not suppose it is any enjoyable,” Carlsen informed the Norwegian broadcasting channel NRK.
