World rapid & blitz: Carlsen walks out of tournament after dress code breach

Bengaluru: In a dramatic turn of events on Day 2 of the World Rapid and Blitz Tournament in New York, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen decided to exit the tournament after a dress code breach. The defending champion arrived at the Wall Street venue on Friday dressed in a shirt, jacket, and a pair of jeans.

According to Fide regulations for the event, players are prohibited from wearing jeans, shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, or baseball caps in the playing area. Carlsen was fined for the breach and asked to change. He refused to do the latter and as a result, he was not paired for round nine. He eventually decided not to play the whole tournament any further and leave New York instead.

The blitz event starts on December 30.

World No.1 Magnus Carlsen at the World Rapid and Blitz Tournament. (FIDE)