Carlsen ‘jeansgate’ deja vu felt at Kerala’s biggest FIDE event, but arbiter plays it cool
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Inside the beautifully arranged playing hall for the 1st Grandmaster International Open Chess Tournament at Kanjikuzhy in Kerala's Kottayam district, players sat across tables, in jeans, denim shorts, track pants, printed t-shirts and other comfortable apparel.
If this was a FIDE World Championship, those players would have been told to change before reentering the playing hall (or forfeit their round), as it happened with World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen at the World Rapid Chess Championship in New York last December.
But in the Kottayam event, the biggest Grandmaster tournament held in Kerala in a long time, Chief Arbiter Rathinam Anantharam was generous enough to let the players continue with the opening round. "I let it go this time and told them to wear acceptable clothing from the next round onwards, and they agreed," Anantharam told Onmanorama.
Though the players will have to avoid wearing casual items such as shorts and track pants, the veteran arbiter, who has managed six world championships, is ready to give relaxation to jeans as it is widely used.
The event hosted by the Kottayam Chess Academy is categorised as a Level 3 FIDE tournament. Armenian Karen Grigoryan is the top seed at the event that features players from at least 13 countries, including 16 Grandmasters.
Recently, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky dug up the 'jeansgate' by posting a photograph from the Grenke Freestyle Chess event, featuring Carlsen and other participants, almost everyone in jeans. "As we get back to review the dress code for FIDE events this year. Do you, as a spectator, feel it really does not matter?
"I think Grenke was a great event with hundreds of amateurs - but I am talking specifically about the top players. The photo is from the prize giving ceremony. Does it look appropriate? And if you were the host/organizer, would you have welcomed similar attire?" Sutovsky posted.
Carlsen forfeited a World Rapid Chess Championship round after FIDE arbiters accused him of a dress code violation for wearing jeans. Last month, the Norwegian auctioned his game-worn jeans, which fetched a staggering $36,100 (approximately Rs 31.5 lakh). Carlsen said the proceeds went to charity.