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The defending champion said he quit as a “matter of principle” after being told to change his jeans.
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20241229085023/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98lkrdkz70o
SpinScore: https://spinscore.io/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fc98lkrdkz70o
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Maintaining fashion standards (nb: hygiene is a separate issue) in an intellectual contest is so fucking stupid. Who decided jeans were less formal than khakis anyway?
Assholes trying to gatekeep the poors from their hobbies.
Come on now. This really isn’t a high bar and it only applies to the top tournaments. They will allow any legwear that is not jeans. Literally every professional sports has some form of equipment requirement and chess is probably one of the cheapest.
If you think world championship contenders can’t be expected to afford normal trousers, what do you think athletes spend on running shoes, baseball gloves and ice skates?
The difference is you need ice skates to skate on ice, you need baseball gloves to protect your hands, and while you don’t explicitly need running shoes you generally benefit from wearing a proper shoe for running if you are competing at a certain level. There is a function behind every one of your other examples.
What fucking pants you wear during chess is utterly meaningless unless you specifically want to create an air of superiority over people who do not dress “formally” (whatever that means). It is merely a means to exclude people who do not meet an arbitrary standard of appearance, which historically has just been a way to oppress lower socioeconomic classes and minorities. Fuck meaningless dress codes and props to him for standing his ground
There are Olympic runners who compete barefoot, you should be able to play chess without pants!
It should be mandatory because it’ll make the buttplug check easier.
You need golf pants to golf!
Should we even go into the women’s category for what is required dress apparel?
Required for what logical, and good reason?!? It’s irrational power trips, no matter how you slice it. Period. The end.
I agree…
I don’t care all that much for golf, but if someone wanted to wear jeans while golfing, I would not give two shits. Anyone who does is just gatekeeping their boring-ass networking scheme, err sport.
Damn I golf in shorts, suck it nerd
It would be cool if he did this as a protest in solidarity with marginalized groups against an unfair rule. Except that:
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He never even claimed that was his motivation.
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He was underperforming during the tournament.
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The dress code explicitly allows for “national or traditional dress”.
Sorry, it’s still BS to complain about the material a pair of pants is made from. I could see if they had vulgarities printed all over them, or were otherwise somehow a significant distraction, but they were just a pair of pants like any other. The idea that the material used for a pair of jeans somehow makes them any less decent than any similar pair of khakis (for example) is just fucking absurd.
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Equating sports equipment to a dress code is incredibly disingenuous and you know it.
This really isn’t a high bar
Just an unnecessary one, yes.
what do you think athletes spend on running shoes, baseball gloves and ice skates?
Last I checked, chess isn’t played from the trousers. Though maybe that would make it more fun, I don’t know.
I play trouser chess all the time
dress codes almost always specifically exist to exclude the poor
Eh, a lot of school dress codes are (partly) intended to keep rich kids from wearing all the newest shit, which causes everyone else to try and keep up or feel shabby. All-black dress codes in bars or kitchens don’t make things any harder for poor people, either.
Literally every professional sports has some form of equipment requirement and chess is probably one of the cheapest.
For real? You realize that those requirements are utilitarian, right? And if there are any relics leftover from old days, or bullshit rules that aren’t utilitarian, then they’re just as dumb as the OP situation.
Jeans are normal trousers.
In inpatient psych, street clothes are a common dress code. There’s some variation between facilities, but clean, untorn, no novelty tshirts, somewhat modest, no camou, are items you will often see in the line up. I started going to a new facility and failed to read this in detail due to habit and personal inertia. That’s on me. I showed up at this facility for over two years running wearing basic: black/dark non tshirt shirt, long cardigan (open front “jumper”, maybe, to you), and new grade looking deep indigo jeans. Black boots. Some variation, but that’s a normal street clothes look for me at work. You know how it is, some of us dress like we live in a type of street clothes uniform because we dislike shopping, multiples of the same items.
No one noticed I was wearing jeans for over two years, or if they did, they said nothing. Then one day, a new house supervisor saw me stooped over a computer out on unit at the nurses station, documenting before I was about to head out, and awkwardly approached to first clarify that I was wearing jeans and then to again, awkwardly, tell me jeans are not allowed at the facility.
Pause, two workers look at my legs, one says “Those are jeans?” Leans in, peers closely, then says “I guess they are.”
My point is, enforcement of non-egregious dress code violations are a choice. Those choices often rest with single individuals.
In neither case do these jeans disrupt the environment. In neither case were people harmed by the wearing of jeans. Nor are the trousers of choice tools required for standardizing the way a task/sport is completed. Offensive? Maybe to a prior generation in a “that is just not how things are done!” kind of way that is primarily fed by generational inertia.
For my part, unless I wanted to start wearing skirts, leggings (not appropriate for work imo), or wedding attendance level clothing, this change required me to go shopping.
Given how professional poker players dress, I’m not sure what the “sport” application of a uniform in chess is for, beyond “this is just how we do things”inertia.
Normal trousers are jeans not the other way around. And jeans are the pants of the people.
Chess wants to maintain an air of elitism.
Relevant links:
- FIDE statement regarding Magnus Carlsen’s dress code breach
- Statement by FIDE President on dress-code rules for Rapid and Blitz Championships
- FIDE dress code
Emphasis on the third link, on what’s not allowed: sneakers, jeans, t-shirts. Under the claim that it’s “to maintain the high standards of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships”… yeah, nah, non sequitur.
And more importantly it shows that the dress code in question is NOT about decency, or preventing cheating, or not distracting other players; it’s all about “if you dress casually we’re going to be assumptive trash and assume that you don’t take the competition seriously.” No wonders Carlsen walked away from it.
The NBA requires players to suit up when arriving at a game. Some MLB teams require pretty strict dress codes (famously the Yankees and facial hair).
Organized sports can be weird to say the least.
Note: since I don’t watch basketball or baseball, I had to dig for further info. As such take what I say with a grain of salt.
…they sound equally as silly and arbitrary as FIDE’s dress code. In special, apparently the NBA dress code (when arriving at a game, as you said; inside the game it’s another can of worms) was created to target hip hop clothing, associating it with crime; this is clearly prejudice.
Mattingly I thought I told you to shave those sideburns
The dress code is designed to ensure fairness and professionalism sounds like school officials saying we take the safety of our students very seriously whenever they’ve done something really stupid.
While i respect your sentiments, if you’re active in the chess community, you’ll know that Magnus’ actions are being shunned by many. The players typically get to vote on the dress code, and they are well informed beforehand about what that decision is.
The real reason Magnus’ left the tournament was to stir up some drama and publicity that he can then use to promote his Freestyle Chess tournament.
Magnus never fails to milk magnus.
Also jeans better hide the cheese computer butt plugs.
The article I read yesterday about it was skewed a little different.
He was out for lunch with a friend and went straight to the tournament after and forgot he was wearing jeans. He offered to change them for the next day but they said he had to do it now, at which point he said it was a matter of principal and walked off. I know I have no idea how the “societal elite” live but I don’t carry an extra set of pants on me when I go places.
As someone who accidentally ended up on a management level web cam meeting with a “death and taxes being the only thing you can count on” shirt, I understand not realizing what you are wearing in the morning. I have since made changes to what I allow myself to wear on working days
Wearing the shirt backwards would have worked in a pinch, unless the back had a guillotine and said “Eat the Rich”.
Here I am designing tshirts.
I very well could have run to my room and change the shirt. But it was a call from my boss so I answered and he said we were hoping on a call to discuss this crisis and I said ok. It wasn’t until I looked at my picture on zoom that I nice what I was wearing and at that point we were 20 minutes into the call. Anyone paying attention would have already seen the shirt and I figured it would be stranger for me to stop the camera and run and change the shirt.
I still don’t understand why it matters. Everyone in the call pays taxes and will die eventually, everyone in the call knows what a joke T-shirt is, and presumably they are all functioning adults who put aside their own quirks to pretend to be normal just like the rest of us. Them execs probably do some weird 50 shades stuff on the weekend.
It’s probably because I’m a software dev, but my zoom call outfits/hair/background get zero of my attention. An interview, sure, but if I feel like my shirt affects my standing on the team at all then I’ve certainly lost faith in my performance and personality.
Am I trippin?
I usually wore Iron maiden and Judas priest black concert Ts at work. Got written up for it too. Just didn’t give a flying fuck.
“Two simple words: I, forgot. I’m sorry, I forgot to pay my taxes. I forgot armed robbery was illegal.” - Steve Martin
I don’t know. He’s an adult. He knew the rules. Rules are worthless if they’re applied unevenly. You can argue a dress code is dumb but the time to argue that is not right before your match starts. He agreed to the rules by signing up, he can follow the rules.
And, I’m not rich but I’m sure I or a friend/family could have fetched a pair of pants.
I believe this wasn’t the first day of the tournament so it wasn’t right before it started.
I’m sure he normally would follow the rules but their is a saying “exception to every rule” for a reason. I don’t know the circumstances, I don’t even know the guy, I’m sure their were other ways it could be handled. I just think this article and this headline portray the event in the worst light.
I could absolutely see a dresscode being enforced heavily if it was seen by the opponent during the match, then a choice of color or style could be done to mess with the opponent, but they sit at a table, the opponent can’t see his pants, as long as the pants would be acceptable for an IT guy in an office, they should be acceptable here
I’ve worked IT jobs that require khakis and it’s equally stupid and pointless.
if it was seen by the opponent during the match, then a choice of color or style could be done to mess with the opponent
Somehow I doubt a loud tie is banned. This is just arbitrary shit made up by petty tyrants.
i dont think it’s entirely arbitrary. it’s probably mostly rabid classism.
as long as the pants would be acceptable for an IT guy in an office
Jeans aren’t acceptable attire at any place I’ve done IT work for.
I work in finance IT and have never had any complaints about jeans.
That’s wild. Can’t remember a job I was not working in jeans… usually had a polo but other than that, pretty informal.
You live on the West Coast… This is East Coast elitist bullshit…
Wow I never had a comment about any clothing in my IT jobs and I just wear whatever I would otherwise, almost always jeans in some form for the lower body. Graphic tees, band shirts etc quite often as well. I’d hate to work in a that stuck up environment.
Did he shit himself or something? What was wrong with the jeans he was wearing?
Against dress code, is what the article I read yesterday said. Even though you can wear slacks made to look like jeans, as long as they are not denim they are fine.
So it sounds like there was nothing wrong with his pants then
They were denim. Denim, he was there to play chess not herd cattle!
Every time I see a headline about a chess tournament, it’s for something like this
Not gonna change my pants. Vandals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBlPyWIjBFs
Knows the rules shows up in jeans and is asked to change. He decides to leave…lol really shows his character! Also got upset and quit when the American beat him…
Isn’t that the definition of taking a stand against something you disagree with, tho. He said it was a matter of principal. Idk anything about his reaction to losing to America or anything else about the dude so I’m not arguing he isn’t an ass. I just feel if I played chess and disagreed with their antiquated policy on attire, then I would prolly do something like not wear jeans to bring attention to how stupid it is. But that’s just me and I am a huge supporter if everyone having the right to protest anything regardless of what is being protested.
Chess players are just glorified board game players trying to create a respectful gentleman society
Is he 12?
He was the person breaking the dress code, not the person enforcing it.
And complaining about it like he is 12.
No, fide was complaining about pants. he left like an adult when someone is being unreasonable.
Let’s sign up for a tournament that has a dress code and then NOT follow the dress code. Then let’s complain that the tournament people are jerks because they didn’t let someone ignore the dress code.
Down vote me.
Sign up for a tournamet.
The organization behind it is antiquated and run by a cadre of status quo defenders.
Decide the rules need to be challenged, show up and challenge it.
Walk out without causing a comotion.
The world starts to talk about what happened.
Point made.
(no down vote)
I downvoted you 'cuz you told me to, but then I upvoted you because i agree
They have a dresscode and he didn’t follow it. Whether it was an accident or whether you can even see his pants are irrelevant. He even says he doesn’t care at this point so this is more about Carlsen being an entitled baby more than FIDE having a stupid rule.
I think entitled baby would be if he stomped his feet and clenched his fists and insisted he be allowed to wear whatever he wanted. Quitting the tournament is more like he truly DGAF. I would call that not giving a fuck.
Okay, good point. He didn’t exactly complain, he just left. But when he said “it’s a matter of principle”, it comes off as him expecting special treatment. The organization was just trying to enforce their rule.
I think you’re reading that into it. I don’t see “It’s a matter of principle” implying anything besides that staying would go against his principles. Oh well.
Rules will keep getting more stupid if everyone blindly follows them. Rules are written by humans, who make mistakes and change over time. Hopefully they consider changing the dress code, considering how society has evolved since it was written.
This is what someone who is inactive in the chess community would say. I don’t blame you, but it’s more than just, “We make the rules, so do as we say”
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I don’t think his reasoning is relevant at all. I could not care less why he chose to wore jeans. The rule is stupid, period.
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Too much drama with this guy…
I’m not into chess, I’m into pool, and when people like this guy make noise around pool instead of shooting pool matches fair and square, I stop watching.
Same reason I stopped watching John McEnroe tennis matches back in the days: I’m interested in the sport, not the drama.
If wearing jeans is the worst drama he is part of he seems like a great guy.
Lol what? Its the other way around. He just showed up normal and they made a big deal about nothing
It is NOT the other way around.
He chose to enter a tournament whose organizers impose a dress code, without complying with the dress code.
The dress code is silly perhaps and has nothing to do with chess. But if he didn’t like it, all he had to do is not participate.
I know fellow pool players who regularly forgo some venues on the circuit because they’re forced to dress in a certain way that’s to restrictive to movements around the table in their eyes and that’s fine. Their tournament, their rules.
all he had to do is not participate
…that’s exactly what he did, though?
Yes, but with unnecessary drama thrown in.
I find this take fascinating because, although I also like watching athletes and sports, I see the fandom and names as a huge soap opera cast. I just can’t keep up with any of it, the names, the injuries, the rivalries, the trades. It’s all just a bunch of banal meaningless drama to me that I will never have the enthusiasm to track. It’s all the same old shit from season to season with a rotating cast of hot young fools, just like General Hospital. As such I can’t talk sports with people. I can watch, but the events wash over me without the same meaning or substance. For that reason, flamboyant and over-the-top drama (like hot tempers, trash talking, and general mischief) that happens during play is actually interesting as long as it isn’t too unsportsman-like and doesn’t interfere with the game too much. The soap opera drama is boring, the sports is interesting, but the performance and affectations are spicy.
To be clear, your take is totally valid and I’m not really critical of it at all. I just have a different perspective.
