Magnus Carlsen says the F-word to FIDE as he's expelled for wearing 'jeans'

Defending champion Magnus Carlsen has quit the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship after being expelled by FIDE for dress code violations. The World No. 1 chose to exit the ongoing championship in New York after being told he cannot wear 'jeans'.

The world chess body penalised Carlsen by not letting him compete in Round 10, the final round on the second day of the Rapid championship, besides slapping a fine of 200 USD. In protest, Carlsen walked out and declared that he was not returning for the remaining three rounds of the Rapid event. Carlsen has even hinted that he is not going to compete in the World Blitz Championship set to begin after the Rapid event.

Carlsen responded to his unceremonious exit in his typical cocky style. "It's ok if they (FIDE) want to force their rules. It's fine by me. My response is this, 'Fine, I'm Out. F***, You'," Carlsen told chess content creator Levy Rozman.

Magnus off to finer weather
Carlsen did not go out silently. He taunted FIDE with a post on X, the social media platform also called Twitter, with a pose in jeans that was captioned: "OOTD", meaning Outfit Of The Day.

However, he used a lot more words in person to convey his feelings toward the world chess body in his interaction with Rozman. "I'm too old to care at this point," said the 34-year-old Norwegian, widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time. "If they want to do it, I think it goes both ways. Nobody wants to back down. This is fine by me. I'll probably head to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer than here," Carlsen said.

He did not stop there and accused FIDE of threatening players who wanted to compete in private events that were not fully backed by the world body, particularly 'Freestyle Chess'. "FIDE was actively going after players, trying to get them to not sign for freestyle.

"They were threatening them that they would not be able to play the world championship cycle if they're playing freestyle. So honestly, my patience with them was not big to begin with." To his fans: "I'm sorry for all the guys at home. I hope you enjoy the rest of your holidays, and I'll see you at some point."

Here's the FIDE version
"FIDE regulations for the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, including the dress code, are designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.
"Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen breached the dress code by wearing jeans, which are explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations for this event.

"The Chief Arbiter informed Mr. Carlsen of the breach, issued a $200 fine, and requested that he change his attire. Unfortunately, Mr. Carlsen declined, and as a result, he was not paired for round nine. This decision was made impartially and applies equally to all players.

"Earlier in the day, another participant, Mr. Ian Nepomniachtchi, was also fined for breaching the dress code by wearing sports shoes. However, Mr. Nepomniachtchi complied, changed into approved attire, and continued to play in the tournament.

"The dress code regulations are drafted by members of the FIDE Athletes Commission, which is composed of professional players and experts. These rules have been in place for years and are well-known to all participants and are communicated to them ahead of each event.

FIDE has also ensured that the players' accommodation is within a short walking distance from the playing venue, making adherence to the rules more convenient. FIDE remains committed to promoting chess and its values, including respect for the rules that all participants agree to follow."