India, Dec. 28 -- In a significant development on the second day of the World Rapid and Blitz Tournament in New York, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen opted to withdraw from the competition following a violation of the dress code. The reigning champion arrived at the Wall Street venue on Friday wearing a shirt, jacket, and jeans. FIDE regulations for the event explicitly prohibit players from donning jeans, shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, or baseball caps in the playing area. Carlsen was penalized for this infraction and instructed to change his clothing. However, he declined to comply, resulting in his exclusion from round nine. Ultimately, he chose to forgo the remainder of the tournament and depart from New York. The blitz event is scheduled to commence on December 30.

"Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen violated the dress code by wearing jeans, which are explicitly banned under the established regulations for this event. The chief arbiter notified Mr. Carlsen of the violation, imposed a $200 fine, and requested that he alter his attire. Regrettably, Mr. Carlsen refused, leading to his non-participation in round nine. This decision was made fairly and applies uniformly to all competitors," FIDE stated in its announcement.

"Earlier in the day, another competitor, Mr. Ian Nepomniachtchi, was also fined for a dress code violation due to wearing sports shoes. However, Mr. Nepomniachtchi adhered to the regulations, changed into appropriate attire, and continued his participation in the tournament."

Carlsen, who claimed both titles in the previous year, encountered a difficult beginning to the tournament on Thursday. He experienced a defeat in one round and managed to secure draws from challenging situations in two others, ultimately concluding with a score of 50 percent.

"Clearly, this has not been my best tournament. Yesterday (Thursday) was particularly tough," Carlsen stated in an interview with Take Take Take. "I lost one game, could have easily lost a couple more, and overall, my performance was subpar. I felt somewhat out of control. I had a good night's sleep and a lunch meeting before arriving here, and I barely had time to go to my room to change, so I just put on a shirt and jacket. Honestly, I didn't even consider the jeans. I can't recall if it was after the first or second game when I was fined and warned that I would not be paired unless I changed my clothes. I suggested I would change tomorrow if that was acceptable, but they insisted I change immediately. At that point, it became a matter of principle for me, so here we are."

He alluded to tensions with FIDE regarding Freestyle Chess, a chess960 event supported by German entrepreneur Jan Buettner, which he has been advocating and participating in.

"There was a situation where FIDE was actively discouraging players from signing with Freestyle, essentially threatening them with exclusion from the World Championship cycle if they participated in Freestyle. Therefore, my patience with them was already quite limited. It's acceptable... they can enforce their regulations, and that’s fine by me; my response is simply - 'I'm out, f**k you.'

"Honestly, I have reached an age where I do not wish to be overly concerned. I suppose it works both ways, and neither side is willing to concede. This is our current situation, and I am fine with it. I will likely seek a location with more pleasant weather than here."

Read Also: Magnus Carlsen Exits Rapid & Blitz Championship Over Dress Code

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