Magnus Carlsen's 'forbidden jeans' put on auction; Rs. 7 lakh and counting on eBay

Magnus Carlsen has brought out his famous jeans that cost him the World Rapid Chess Championship title in New York last December. However, this time, Carlsen's jeans is going up for auction.

The World No. 1 chess player has said 'the forbidden jeans' will go under the hammer, with the proceeds pledged for charity. "I am auctioning my jeans. A sentence I never thought I would write. But here we are," Carlsen posted on X. "All proceeds go to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program," he posted. Big Brothers Big Sisters is an American NGO.

Carlsen's 'jeansgate' jeans is being auctioned on eBay for 10 days.Within 12 hours of bidding, the price of the jeans went up to $8,000 (approximately ₹7 lakh). In less than an hour of posting, at least 33 bids were received for the 'game-worn' jeans. Carlsen had to forfeit the World Rapid Chess Championship with three rounds remaining when he was penalised for wearing 'jeans', which World Chess body FIDE argued violated it's dress code.

Carlsen walked out of the event in protest saying it was a matter of principle. But it was Carlsen who had the last laugh as FIDE eventually gave in, allowing the superstar to return to the Championship to compete in the Blitz event, wearing jeans.

Allowing Carlsen to break their rules with impunity served as a double whammy for FIDE as the Norwegian did another outrageous act while in New York by sharing his Blitz World title by defying the World Chess body's custom. Carlsen famously shared his first prize with Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi.