Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen's stance on wearing jeans has led to a change in the sport's dress code.
Carlsen boldly quit the tournament at the Rapid World Championship after being fined $200 for wearing jeans, a tale the internet has dubbed, 'Jeangate.'
Carlsen's brazen move spurred conversations within the International Chess Federation (FIDE), namely about its seemingly strict dress code guideline that includes a longstanding rule of prohibiting jeans at tournaments.
Another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, fell victim to FIDE's dress code scope and was fined for wearing sports shoes, reported the Associated Press.
Carlsen's stance led FIDE's president Arkady Dvorkovich to change the dress code rules for the World Blitz Championship.
The new policy allows "appropriate jeans" worn with jackets, a sign that even the sport of chess can adapt to the present.
In reply to the dress code modifications, Carlsen, shared in a message on X.
"Oh, I am definitely playing in jeans tomorrow," Carlsen said.
Oh, I am definitely playing in jeans tomorrow
— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) December 29, 2024
Carlsen gave his take on the incident in a video shared Sunday on social media.
"I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side," Carlsen said. He called the fine "unbelievably harsh." "Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn't want to," he said, and "I stand by that."
The World Blitz Championship begins Monday night.
According to findings from a Randstad survey, millennials and Gen Zs are 33% more likely to decline a job offer if it comes with a strict dress code in the workplace.
