 "Top FIDE event in Kerala avoids repeat of Carlsen's 'jeansgate' scandal as Chief Arbiter lets players off the hook")
Kerala is currently hosting its biggest chess event in a long time with the 1st Grandmaster International Open Chess Tournament taking place in the town of Kanjikuzhy in Kottayam district. The event, however, might have witnessed a repeat of the 'Jeansgate' controversy involving Magnus Carlsen had the Chief Arbiter of the event not been as lenient.
The event, a Level 3 FIDE tournament, features competitors from at least 13 countries with 16 Grandmasters in action. Armenian GM Karen Grigoryan, with a current Standard rating of 2530, is the top seed at the event.
Several competitors, however, were spotted playing in jeans, denim shorts, track pants and other forms of casual clothing, which is an unusual sight for FIDE events where dress rules normally require players to wear formals.
Chief Arbiter lets players off the hook, willing to allow jeans
Chief Arbiter Rathinam Anantharam decided against taking action in the opening round but instructed the players to wear appropriate attire for the remainder of the tournament, according to Onnanorama. Anantharam is willing to let players wear jeans but not shorts, track pants and other comfortable clothing.
“I let it go this time and told them to wear acceptable clothing from the next round onwards, and they agreed,” Anantharam told the news website.
Carlsen had courted controversy during the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York in December after showing up wearing a pair of jeans during the Rapid event. The world No 1 refused to heed to the Chief Arbiter’s demand of changing his denims and putting on a pair of trousers right away, insisting he would do so the following day.
Also Read | FIDE CEO rekindles memories of 'jeansgate scandal' while taking a fresh dig at Carlsen
The standoff with FIDE led to Carlsen pulling out of the tournament midway, though he would return for the Blitz Championships where made headlines for the wrong reasons once again, this time for sharing the title with Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi.
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