Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen rejoins tournament he quit over wearing jeans - after dress code change
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen rejoins tournament he quit over wearing jeans - after dress code change
Magnus Carlsen left the New York competition after he was told he had to change out of his jeans. Now, the International Chess Federation has relaxed its dress code rules to allow for "elegant deviations".
You're viewing a single thread.
If you're not familiar with the background
"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.
Before people get upset and call him a diva, he's really the only player with the weight to force changes like this.
Pro chess has a terrible history with rules designed to keep the "wrong people" out of competitions. Dress codes can be used to keep poorer competitors out at the lower skill levels, and if you can't compete you can't keep increasing your own skill.
So while Magnus could have easily switched, thousands of poor kids just starting out in lower tournaments might not be able to as easily
But jeans are expensive and no where close to being a 'poor' thing?
It's certainly possible to pay alot for jeans, but it is by no means the norm for them to be expensive.
But it's not just jeans, it's all dress code restrictions that apply in situations where they don't or shouldn't matter.
Dress codes are ostensibly about the comfort level of your peers, but in actuality, they tend to be more about "who" they exclude rather than "what" they exclude... and are still about the "comfort" levels of the people that enforce them.
I typically pay $20 or less for my jeans. Anything more than that I consider a ripoff.
Designer jeans, maybe, but you can get cheap jeans for nothing and they still last forever
You forgot some relevant details, though. He offered to come back in different pants the next day. They said no, that's not good enough.
Fined? Lol why do they think they can fine him?