Magnus Carlsen vows to play in jeans after confirming return to World Blitz Championship

Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen confirmed his return to the World Blitz Championship on Monday.

After FIDE agreed to relax a dress code that had previously led to him being fined and excluded from a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out jeans.

Reflecting on the controversy, International Chess Federation (FIDE) President Arkady Dvorkovich stated on Sunday that tournament officials would now consider allowing “appropriate jeans” paired with a jacket and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code.

Dvorkovich acknowledged that Carlsen’s stand culminated in his withdrawal from the tournament on Friday-highlighted the need for further discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.”

Meanwhile, Carlsen announced in a video posted on social media that he would compete-and wear jeans-at the World Blitz Championship starting Monday.

“I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. However, he added that he loves playing blitz-a fast-paced format of chess-and wanted fans to enjoy the event. He also noted that his discussions with the federation after Friday’s incident had been constructive.

“I think we all sort of want the same thing,” he suggested in the video, posted on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want players to feel comfortable but also relatively presentable.”

The dispute began on Friday when Carlsen wore jeans and a sport coat to the Rapid World Championship, held concurrently with the blitz event. FIDE stated that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at such tournaments and that players are accommodated nearby to facilitate outfit changes if needed.

An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change his pants, but he refused and was consequently not paired for a ninth-round game. FIDE also noted that earlier in the day, another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, had been fined for wearing sports shoes, but he complied with the rules, changed, and continued playing.

Carlsen later explained that he had offered to comply with the dress code the following day, but officials remained unyielding. “It became a matter of principle,” he said, leading to his withdrawal from both the rapid and blitz championships.

In Sunday’s video, Carlsen questioned whether he had truly violated any rules and argued that changing clothes mid-tournament would have disrupted his concentration between games. He called the penalty “unbelievably harsh.”

“Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said. “And I stand by that.”