Carlsen withdrew from the rapid chess championship due to the dress code.

The rapid chess championship is taking place in New York and started on Thursday. Immediately after, the blitz championship will commence—chess games with a three-minute time limit per match. On Friday, the Norwegian grandmaster was fined for playing in jeans, which are prohibited by the rules. The chief referee demanded that the chess player change by the 9th round, but he refused to comply.

Carlsen stated that he had promised the organizers to change by the third day of the tournament, but they were not satisfied with that. According to him, by the start of the dispute, it had become a "matter of principle" for him. He mentioned that he feels too old to take the situation seriously and apologized to the audience.

The International Chess Federation, FIDE, issued a statement indicating that the organization intends to promote the values of chess, which include respect for the rules agreed upon by all participants. The press release noted that on Friday another participant in the tournament, Russian chess player Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined for playing in sneakers.

Carlsen is the reigning world champion in rapid and blitz chess. His refusal to participate in the championship means that the title will pass to another chess player. In 2022, the Norwegian declined to defend his championship title in classical chess.