Bengaluru: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 departed from New York. The blitz event is scheduled to commence on December 30.

FIDE issued a statement noting, "Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen violated the dress code by wearing jeans, which are explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations for this event. The chief arbiter notified Mr. Carlsen of the violation, imposed a $200 fine, and requested that he change his attire. Unfortunately, Mr. Carlsen declined, leading to his exclusion from round nine. This decision was made impartially and applies equally to all players."

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

Carlsen, who secured both titles in the previous year, had a challenging start to the tournament on Thursday, suffering a loss in one round and managing to escape with draws from precarious positions in two others, ultimately finishing with a 50 percent score.

This tournament has clearly not been my best performance. Yesterday was particularly challenging, as I experienced a loss in one game and could have easily lost a few more. Overall, my play was subpar, and I felt somewhat out of control. I had a restful night and a lunch meeting prior to my arrival, which left me with little time to change. Consequently, I simply donned a shirt and jacket without considering my jeans. I cannot recall whether it was after the first or second game when I received a fine and a warning that I would not be paired unless I changed my attire. I suggested that I would change the following day, but they insisted that I do so immediately. At that moment, it became a matter of principle for me, leading to the current situation.

I also alluded to some tension with FIDE regarding Freestyle Chess, a chess960 event supported by German entrepreneur Jan Buettner, which I have been promoting and participating in. 

FIDE has been actively discouraging players from signing with Freestyle, even threatening that participation in Freestyle would jeopardize their eligibility for the World Championship cycle. My patience with them was already quite limited. They are entitled to enforce their regulations, and my response to that is simply, "I’m out, thank you very much."

At this stage in my life, I find that I am too old to be overly concerned about these matters. It seems that both sides are unwilling to yield, and this is the situation we find ourselves in. I am perfectly fine with it. I will likely seek a destination with more pleasant weather than what I am currently experiencing.

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