 "Vidit Gujrathi explains why Magnus Carlsen continues to target FIDE, Viswanathan Anand: 'He can get away with it'")
Magnus Carlsen hasn’t been on best of terms with FIDE in recent months, especially since he showed up in a pair of jeans that led to a dress code violation in December. Carlsen is known for not holding himself back when it comes to fiery exchanges, whether with individuals or with organisations, and he has been engaged in a war of words with the Lausanne-based governing body the sport for quite some time now.
The jeans scandal at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York worsened the situation and things were at an all-time low between Carlsen and FIDE in the build-up to the lucrative Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour’s opening event in Weissenhaus that concluded on Friday.
Also Read | Carlsen targets FIDE again despite truce with Freestyle Chess: ‘Doesn’t have players interest at heart’
Some of Carlsen’s animosity was also directed towards Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand , who serves as FIDE deputy president. Shortly after the dress code violation as well as the controversial decision to share the blitz world title with Ian Nepomniachtchi that led to accusations of match-fixing, Carlsen described Anand as someone who is “not ready for this job” – occupying a senior position in FIDE that is.
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi who was part of the Indian contingent that pulled off a historic golden sweep at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest last year, described Carlsen as a “rebel” as well as someone who could afford to “get away with it” no matter what he said about FIDE or its president Arkady Dvorkovich or his deputy Anand.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“The thing is he can afford to. He is world champion and he can get away with it. Now the thing has become that he is bigger than the sport right now,” Gujrathi told popular comedian and VJ Cyrus Broacha on the latter’s YouTube show Cyrus Says!
The 30-year-old GM went on to compare Carlsen with Bollywood mega-star Shah Rukh Khan, describing the Norwegian chess icon as someone who had become bigger than the sport
“Sometimes, the artist becomes bigger than the art. SRK is SRK. He is a star. Now if SRK’s movie comes, you will go to watch it.
“But you agree that there are some stars,” Gujrathi added.
Carlsen was among the 10 participants in the opening event of the inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Weissenhaus, Germany, where he finished third after losing to eventual champion Vincent Keymer in the semi-finals .
During the tournament, the 34-year-old reaffirmed his stance towards FIDE, stating that he had severed ties with the organisation and wasn’t likely to participate in any tournament organised by them ever again.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
