Few chess players in history have been as popular and skilled as Magnus Carlsen—if any at all. So when Carlsen was barred from playing a round at the World Rapid Championship over a minor dress-code violation, it sent shockwaves through the chess community. But the controversy, sparked by a pair of jeans, has escalated far beyond a single round of chess. Carlsen has dropped the mic—and an F-bomb—on FIDE, the sport’s governing body, suggesting he might avoid future tournaments organized under their banner.

“My patience with them was not very big to begin with. and it’s OK, like they can enforce their rules, that’s fine by me, and my response is that fine, then I’m out, then f**k you.”

Emotions were definitely running high, but the way things are going, Carlsen may have actually meant it.

Why Magnus Carlsen wasn’t allowed to play

The world of chess has changed in recent years, especially with the rise of online play. Yet FIDE, the sport’s controversial governing body, hasn’t exactly been embracing these changes. FIDE doesn’t recognize important online tournaments, even those with prize funds that rival its own. It also insists on enforcing strict dress codes for its tournament. In this particular case, FIDE wanted a business-smart dress code.

For instance, FIDE instructs players to avoid athletic footwear and opt for more formal shoe options. For men, they mention that suits and trousers are acceptable. “Jeans are generally not considered business attire,” the FIDE document mentions.

This rule has already ruffled feathers. German grandmaster Elisabeth Paehtz criticized FIDE for forcing an underage girl to swap jeans for a makeshift skirt made from a scarf. Players like Ian Nepomniachtchi and Anish Giri have also pointed out the inconsistent enforcement, with some violations ignored altogether.

FIDE also issued several $200 fines, including to two-time World Championship runner-up Ian Nepomniachtchi, but according to reports from people on site, the measures were not consistent. Other players also wore jeans and curiously, one player had trousers that looked like jeans but were not actually jeans (and this was allowed).

Carlsen himself faced a $200 fine, which he paid without contest. However, when told to change between rounds, he drew the line.

The time between rounds was 30-60 minutes, which was just enough to go, get changed, and get back in time. But for Carlsen, this had become a matter of principle. The organizers responded by refusing to pair him for his next match, effectively giving him a one-round penalty.

Nepomniachtchi was highly critical of the way FIDE handled the situation, saying that the dress code is “obviously not a thing to be enforced” and that “technically a lot of players are violating the dress code”. He added you could “find a lot of good money by just walking around and [enforcing the dress code]. Anish Giri, another top player added that “sometimes [there are 40 players violating the dress code].”

“In what universe can you imagine this? I mean wow. This is not how you should treat people,” Nepomniachtchi quipped.

So Carlsen has apparently quit the tournament. But this is just the start of it.

A full-on war with FIDE

Carlsen told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation:

“The way I feel it right now, I am at full war with FIDE,” and, “Yes, it has come to a point where I have been involved in this for many years. And I have no desire to have anything to do with them [FIDE]. So I apologize to those at home, it may be a stupid matter of principle to have, but I don’t think it is very fun when it has to be like that.”

Carlsen also accused FIDE of more insidious behavior. He says the organization is threatening players interested in joining one private competitive tour he is organizing. Carlsen has organized several chess events in the past with prize pools that rival those of FIDE.

Meanwhile, FIDE responded with an official statement where they emphasize the dress code which they say supports “professionalism and fairness for all players.” FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky also hinted that Carlsen reacted this way because he wasn’t playing well and is generally uncooperative, adding that FIDE didn’t threaten anyone and the dispute was solely with Carlsen’s tour using the term “world championship.” However, Nepomniachtchi seemed to corroborate Carlsen’s view, saying that the way FIDE treated players is “blackmail.”

Far from being a simple tournament story, this seems to be the signal for bigger things to come.

The beginning of a new era?

FIDE isn’t exactly a popular organization and there has been speculation of Carlsen and other players moving towards a separate system.

Until recently, FIDE depended on Russian sponsorship, and the organization has long been linked with Russian oligarchs with strong ties to Vladimir Putin. From 1995 to 2018, FIDE was led by Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, a billionaire and former president of the Republic of Kalmykia with a history of bizarre claims (like abduction by aliens) and ties to authoritarian regimes. In 2015, for instance, Ilyumzhinov was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for alleged financial ties to the Syrian government.

Critics have frequently raised concerns about a lack of transparency in FIDE’s financial dealings and decision-making processes. Professional chess players have voiced concerns about insufficient financial and logistical support from FIDE, especially for lower-ranked players who rely on the organization to ensure fair opportunities.

The unpleasant truth is that despite the blitz and elegance that FIDE is trying to project, chess doesn’t pay that well. If you’re not around the top 10, you’re probably not winning any real money in prizes, which means that even elite players can struggle. Simply traveling to play such events can be very challenging financially, even for top players. During the pandemic, chess experienced an unexpected boom due to online play. Chess streaming has also boomed, bringing more attention (and sponsors) to the game.

Perhaps no one embodies this phenomenon as well as Hikaru Nakamura. The US player is still fighting at the very top of the game yet he brands himself a streamer and says he spends way more time streaming than playing on-the-board chess. Nakamura, who has also been outspoken about his disenchantment with FIDE, believes this will be the start of a new era for chess.

“The reality is that FIDE really wants to have their control and I think people who are in charge, especially Emil Sutovsky, like to be able to say “my way or the highway”. But ultimately, there’s no doubt that this will be the beginning of a new era. I think that Magnus is definitely going to go his own way. I expect the players will have to pick or choose… and we’ll see what happens. But I think it’s very clear that Magnus is going to do his own thing, I don’t think he’s going to play FIDE events.”

This seems very likely, particularly as Carlsen has been dismissive of FIDE before. In 2022, he decided not to defend his World Championship title, saying he doesn’t plan on returning to the cycle and making comments such as “I’m not going back to that circus.”

Nakamura, who is enormously popular in his own right, says this rupture will end up being “a good thing”, triggering needed reforms in FIDE.

It’s not clear where this will all lead. People with ties to the world of chess aren’t exactly surprised by the feud. Collisions between FIDE on one side and Carlsen and some other players on the other have been building up. Yet no one really expected a pair of jeans to be the trigger.

Perhaps Carlsen should hold on to those jeans. Who knows, maybe someday they’ll become a piece of chess history.