The Russian foreign minister has expressed incredulity at the International Chess Federation’s strict dress code
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed his shock at the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) harsh dress code enforcement, which led to Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen storming out a tournament in protest. The diplomat noted that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelesnky gets away with routinely flouting the formal dress code at official international events, and sporting military-style attire.
Speaking to Russia’s Kommersant newspaper on Sunday, Lavrov said: “The fact that world champion Magnus Carlsen was essentially booted out [of a competition] for appearing in jeans leaves me surprised, if not dumbfounded.” The Russian foreign minister clarified that while not a chess player himself, he follows the game.
“Then you need to kick Zelensky out of everywhere over dress code, this would solve many problems,” the official added.
Since the escalation of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022, the Ukrainian leader has switched from the usual formal dress to military-style outfits, including cargo pants, hoodies and fleece jackets.
On Friday, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the World Rapid and Blitz Championship after refusing to change out of his jeans. According to a statement by the FIDE released the following day, the Norwegian had breached the dress code, as denim trousers are explicitly prohibited under “long-standing regulations for this event.”
The Federation said the five-time world chess champion had been informed of the breach, slapped with a $200 fine, and asked to change his attire. Carlsen, however, refused to comply and was disqualified from the Blitz Championship.
Another player, Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, was also fined for wearing sports shoes, but unlike the Norwegian chess prodigy, agreed to change his footwear.
Commenting on his disqualification, Carlsen told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK: “I am pretty tired of FIDE, so I want no more of this.” In a separate interview, the 34-year-old recounted how he barely had time to get changed ahead of the game.
“I put on a shirt, a jacket, even changed my shoes. And honestly, I didn’t even think about the jeans,” the world champion claimed. He said that when asked to change his jeans immediately, “it became a bit of a matter of principle for me.”
Carlsen has not appealed the disqualification, saying he is “too old at this point to care too much” and will probably head off to somewhere where the weather is a “bit nicer.”
