A debate about the tournament dress code emerged during the first day of the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2025. NRK chess expert Torstein Bae noted Magnus Carlsen’s light-colored trousers did not comply with official regulations, while fellow expert and arbiter Christoffer Gressli argued against penalizing the former world champion.
Christoffer Gressli
Chess expert“If one goes by how the regulations are formulated, Magnus’s trousers do not comply. But they clearly fall within the intention that the regulations are meant to cover. That intention is to have a relatively professional appearance and to prevent people from walking around in sweatpants or shorts, as unfortunately has happened before.”
Chief Arbiter Nebojsa Baralic later confirmed Carlsen’s trousers were approved.
Nebojsa Baralic
Chief Arbiter“In my view, these are regular trousers. He looks perfectly fine. Fortunately, the regulations are now a bit more flexible than in previous years, and we are happy about that.”
Magnus Carlsen’s jeans made global headlines last year. The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025 permits jeans, specifying dark ‘business casual’ style trousers, including classic jeans without distressing.
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