Dutch chess player Anna-Maja Kazarian is a familiar face in the chess community. Last year, she faced a 100 Euro fine from FIDE after not following the dress code at the World Rapid Championship. An arbiter approached her about her shoes, leading to a formal complaint since they didn’t meet the dress code requirements. FIDE had specified that players should wear business casual attire for the tournament.

Fast forward to December 2024, and Kazarian is speaking out against FIDE for their new rule banning sneakers at this year's FIDE Rapid and Blitz tournament. She took to X to express her frustration, saying, “Looks like FIDE is sticking to their guns after last year’s fiasco: NO sneakers allowed at all at the World Rapid & Blitz! It’s really annoying to see such ignorance and outdated standards.”

The 24-year-old also posted images from a FIDE presentation for players, which included a section titled ‘Dress for Chess to Impress.’ This section outlined what players should wear and what to avoid. The guidelines stated, “The dress code for the playing venue is Smart Business Attire, aiming for a balance between professionalism and comfort. This allows for individual expression while maintaining a consistent level of elegance.”

Grandmaster Ahmed Adly, who chairs the FIDE Athletes Commission, led the presentation. It outlined the dress code for male players, which includes suits, trousers, long or short-sleeve shirts, polo shirts, shoes, loafers, jackets, vests, and sweaters. They can also wear their national traditional outfits with prior approval from the FIDE Technical Delegate. For female players, the dress code allows suits, dresses, skirts, blouses, turtlenecks, shirts or polos, trousers or slacks, jackets, vests, sweaters, scarves, and various types of footwear, including boots, flats, and heels. Jewelry like earrings and necklaces is also permitted, along with national attire upon prior approval.

FIDE has set fines for dress code violations: 200 Euros for the open section and 100 Euros for women's events. Players can still compete in the current round after their first violation, but a second violation will lead to exclusion from pairings in the next round.

Kazarian, the 2020 Dutch Women’s Internet Chess Champion, has also won the under-16 girls’ European Youth Championship. Her highest FIDE rating was 2320 in 2016, and she has represented her country in both the Chess Olympiad and the European Team Chess Championship. She achieved her first Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm with an impressive performance rating of 2410 during the 2023-24 Dutch League.

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