Why Magnus Carlsen used duct tape to cover sponsor logo at World Rapid Championship

When Magnus Carlsen came to play on the final two days of the 2025 World Rapid Chess Championship in Doha, something unusual caught everyone’s attention. Two pieces of duct tape were clearly visible on his clothes, one on the sleeve of his blazer and another on the chest of his shirt. The tape was not visible during his games on the opening day of the tournament as seen in the picture below.

♟ FIDE World Rapid 2025: 🇳🇴 Magnus Carlsen and 🇨🇳 Zhu Jiner set early pace on day one in 🇶🇦 Doha

Norwegian Magnus Carlsen leads a group of five players on 4.5 points after five rounds in the open section of the FIDE World Rapid. China’s Zhu Jiner is the sole leader in the… pic.twitter.com/hGwo8PdXFf

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 26, 2025

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Midway through the World Rapid Championship, the world No. 1 from Norway decided to cover the logo of one of his sponsors, Betby, using tape. The reason behind this move was FIDE’s strict dress code policy for the year-ending World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Qatar, which clearly bans players from displaying logos of “prohibited sponsors” such as betting companies, alcohol and tobacco brands.

Magnus Carlsen has a piece of duct tape covering one of his sponsors on both his jacket and shirt. I wonder why? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/9YzojQWRWG

— Indie Chess (@IndieChess) December 28, 2025

Carlsen has had a long-term sponsorship deal with Betby, a betting company, since October 2024. Since the partnership began, the Betby logo has regularly appeared on Carlsen’s playing attire, including his blazer sleeves and shirt. He even started the World Rapid Championship with the Betby branding visible on his clothes.

According to FIDE’s dress code, sporting a betting company’s logo is considered a “major infringement”. So, how did Carlsen manage to successfully sport the logo on the first day of the tournament? A question that should be asked to the FIDE. It will be interesting to see if any action is taken on this matter in the coming days.

This incident also brings back memories of Carlsen’s earlier protest against FIDE’s dress code policies. During the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York, Carlsen withdrew from the event after being stopped by an arbiter for wearing jeans, an episode that later became known as the jeansgate controversy.

Carlsen wins record sixth Rapid title

Despite the off-board talking points, Carlsen delivered a dominant performance on the board. He finished the 13-round tournament with an impressive 10.5 points, sealing the title for the sixth time with a calm draw against Anish Giri in the final round. The Norwegian won 10 games, drew two and lost just once, proving yet again why he is considered the best player of his generation.

The victory was particularly meaningful as Carlsen had missed defending his title last year following the jeansgate controversy. Russia’s Vladislav Artemiev finished second with 9.5 points, while India’s Arjun Erigaisi claimed the bronze medal, becoming only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win a World Rapid medal.