Magnus Carlsen Criticizes Viswanathan Anand Over Jeans Controversy at FIDE Championships

World Chess No. 1, Magnus Carlsen, has publicly criticized Viswanathan Anand, the deputy president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), following a dress code controversy at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships. Carlsen, who was disqualified from the tournament for wearing jeans, claims that Anand mishandled the situation and is unfit for his position within FIDE.

Carlsen’s Frustration with FIDE’s Decision

The controversy began when Carlsen violated the dress code by wearing jeans, which led to his disqualification. Though FIDE later relaxed the dress code, Carlsen expressed his frustration with the organization’s rigid enforcement. Speaking on the Take Take Take app, Carlsen revealed that despite having lengthy conversations with Anand, the issue was not resolved. Carlsen said, “We had long conversations with Anand and others, but it led to no outcome. The answers we received were that arbiters were basically robots who couldn’t deviate from the rules.”

Carlsen Questions the Validity of His Disqualification

Carlsen continued to question whether he had actually broken any rules. He explained that FIDE officials insisted jeans were “generally” not allowed, but there was no clarity on whether exceptions could be made. Carlsen felt that his outfit, despite the jeans, should have met the standards, and he was frustrated with the lack of flexibility in the interpretation of the rule.

Anand’s Response and Carlsen’s Critique of His Leadership

Carlsen further criticized Anand’s role in the decision-making process, stating that Anand had admitted he was unable to challenge the arbiters’ decision. “Anand said very clearly that he didn’t know he had any opportunity to do anything past going along with the arbiters’ draconian decision,” Carlsen stated. “For all his good qualities, he was not ready for this job.”

Anand Defends FIDE’s Actions

In contrast, Anand defended FIDE’s actions, explaining that Carlsen’s refusal to follow the dress code left the organization with no choice. He told ChessBase India that Carlsen’s non-compliance with the rules left FIDE no option but to enforce the punishment. Despite their differences, Anand’s response emphasized that Carlsen’s actions had limited FIDE’s ability to make exceptions.