Carlsen calls FIDE higher-ups, including Vishy Anand, 'not grown-ups'
The World No. 1 said they were incapable of making decision independently.
The World No. 1 said they were incapable of making decision independently.
The World No. 1 said they were incapable of making decision independently.
Magnus Carlsen has blasted most of the FIDE higher-ups, including its Deputy President Viswanathan Anand and CEO Emil Sutovsky, for mishandling the dress code violation issue that led to his forfeiture of the World Rapid Chess Championship in New York.
The World No. 1 labelled them robots, incapable of making decisions independently. Talking to content creator Levy Rozman on 'take take take', an app he is co-promoting, Carlsen said Chief Arbiter Alex Holowczak, whose "draconian decision" to not pair him for a round on the charge of wearing jeans, was "not ready for the job".
"I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side and I was about to basically book my plane tickets and get out of here. My father said maybe I should wait until we talk to FIDE president (Arkady) Dvorkovich, with whom we have a good relationship; we know that we can reason with him.
"Him actually being asleep when this happened meant there were no grown-ups in FIDE. You can argue whether I am or not. But there was nobody even slightly willing to have a conversation.
"We had long conversations with Anand, and it generally didn't lead to anywhere. Others are basically robots who cannot think on their own, who cannot even slightly deviate. They decided to take that opportunity to pursue a very narrow interpretation of a rule, and apparently, there was no room for discussions or anything.
“Anand said very clearly that he didn't know if he had any opportunity to do anything to go against the arbiters. Honestly, a draconian decision not pairing me. That means that for all his good qualities, he was not ready for this job. If you are talking about (Emil) Sutovsky, I don't think that man can be reasoned with in any way. Dvorkovich has generally been true to his words, Sutovsky, not so much," Carlsen said.
The Norwegian Super GM seems to have forced FIDE to bend its knee by relaxing the rules related to dress code for the tournament. Carlsen will be participating in the World Blitz Chess Championship starting on New Year's eve.