Kazakh GM Alua Nurman asked Magnus Carlsen to take a selfie with her before their game in round 2 of the Grenke Freestyle Open. Carlsen agreed, and they took a photo together at the board.

After that, Carlsen called the arbiter and reported that his opponent had a phone. The arbiter took the phone from Nurman, and the game took place without penalty for Alua. Magnus Carlsen won the game in 44 moves.

The Grenke Chess Festival 2026 takes place from April 2 to 6 at the Karlsruhe Convention Centre in Karlsruhe, Germany. At major events, players are strictly prohibited from having smartphones or any other electronic devices in the playing hall during a game. Violating this rule usually results in an auto loss.

Credit: ChessBase India