 "Magnus Carlsen has confirmed his participation in World Rapid & Blitz in Doha. Image: Insta-Betby")
Five-time world champion and current world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen’s protest against FIDE’s strict dress code policies, following the infamous jeansgate controversy last year, led the global chess body to rethink its approach. Carlsen withdrew midway through the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Championship after an arbiter stopped him for wearing jeans.
Following this incident, Carlsen publicly criticised FIDE on multiple occasions, which resulted in FIDE easing its dress code and allowing players to wear “appropriate jeans” at the Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss tournaments earlier this year.
FIDE, on Friday, November 21, published the dress code for the upcoming FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025, which is scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar. Carlsen is once again in the spotlight because one of the rules prohibits players from displaying logos of sponsors such as betting companies.
“FIDE is pleased to publish the dress code for the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025 in Doha, Qatar. The dress code is strictly observed for the tournament and all the official events and press-conferences. No players with t-shirts, shorts, baseball caps or inappropriate dress are allowed in the playing venue,” FIDE said in its release.
“Major infringements are those demonstrating disregard for or denial of the dress code rules as a whole, or showing disrespect toward FIDE, the opponent, or their countries and national symbols. Examples include, but are not limited to, wearing shorts, beachwear, sleeveless shirts (for men), or clothing/footwear with offensive content or logos of prohibited sponsors (e.g., betting companies, alcohol, tobacco),” FIDE said.
According to FIDE regulations for the tournament, sporting a betting company’s logo on clothing will be considered a “major infringement.” Below is a video of Carlsen wearing a jacket with the logo of a betting company, Betby. Carlsen is the global brand ambassador of the company. The video is from Carlsen’s most recent tournament, the 2025 Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown.
At the FIDE World Cup 2025, which is currently being played in Goa, India, there is no dress code rule about sporting logos of prohibited sponsors on clothes or shoes. The rest of the dress code requirements at the Chess World Cup are the same as the upcoming World Rapid & Blitz in Doha.
Carlsen confirms his participation
Meanwhile, FIDE has allowed players to wear jeans, but only if they are “classic and non-distressed.” Carlsen has already confirmed that he will participate in this year’s World Rapid and Blitz competition, joking that he will wear “tighter jeans” this time. He confirmed his participation in a cheeky social media post on Thursday, a day before FIDE released the dress code requirements.
“Clothing allowed for men: Suit, Dark business casual trousers, including classic, non-distressed jeans (blue, black, and grey), Unicoloured shirt (with minor deviations allowed, e.g. checkered or striped), Dress shoes and loafers with closed toes, Unicoloured sneakers (soles can be a different colour),” the release read.