Chess champion leaves tournament after being told to change jeans

World chess number one Magnus Carlsen has abandoned a major tournament after being told he could no longer play with cowboys.

The chess great had been defending his titles at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York when officials made the request.

The grandmaster said he had offered to change his pants for the next day, but was fined and told he needed to change immediately.

The chess federation (FIDE) said its dress code was designed to “ensure fairness and professionalism for all participants.”

Carlsen is a prominent chess figure who has generated some controversy in recent years.

Last year he resolved a long-running legal dispute after accusing a rival of cheating in a tournament.

On Friday he withdrew from the championship of the short versions of the game due to the clothing altercation. Carlsen had been the current Blitz and Rapid Chess champion.

He added that he would not appeal the decision, saying: “Honestly, I’m too old at this point to worry too much.”

He said he had been wearing jeans to a lunch and “didn’t even think” about exchanging them for a different pair of pants on his way to the tournament.

He showed up dressed in a shirt, jacket, dark jeans and dress shoes and played a few rounds before being asked to change.

When his offer to move to the next day was rejected, Carlsen said “it became a matter of principle for me.”

In a statement, FIDE confirmed that the 34-year-old was fined $200 (£159) and said its rules are applied “impartially”. They cited a case where another player was fined the same day before changing shoes.

Carlsen is a five-time world chess champion and still holds first place in his sport.

The Norwegian has long been considered a maverick in the chess world since he became grandmaster (the highest title in chess) at the age of 13.

In a now-resolved dispute with his opponent Hans Niemann, Carlsen abandoned a tournament in 2022 after Niemann beat him, before accusing his American rival of cheating.

Niemann denied the accusations and even said he would “get completely naked” to prove his innocence.

The couple settled the lawsuit for $100m (£79m) in August last year.