Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen won’t defend his title at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships because of a pair of jeans. 

Carlsen, the current World No. 1, removed himself from the tournament in New York on Friday after he received a $200 fine and warning from FIDE because of a dress code violation. The five-time world champion was told that he would not be able to continue on until he changed out of his jeans, a change the defiant Carlsen was not willing to make. 

“FIDE regulations for the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, including the dress code, are designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants,” the organization said in a statement on Friday. 

“Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen breached the dress code by wearing jeans, which are explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations for this event. The Chief Arbiter informed Mr. Carlsen of the breach, issued a $200 fine, and requested that he change his attire. Unfortunately, Mr. Carlsen declined, and as a result, he was not paired for round nine. This decision was made impartially and applies equally to all players.”

Carlsen would’ve been able to accept a forfeiture for the round and continue on in the tournament on Saturday, but he told Take Take Take in an interview after the incident that he was not interested in continuing on. 

“Honestly, I’m too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do – I guess it goes both ways, right? Nobody wants to back down, and this is where we are. It’s fine by me. I’ll probably head off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer than here.” 

Magnus Carlsen at Day 2 of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship on December 27, 2024, in New York City.  (Misha Friedman/Getty Images)

“It’s okay, they can enforce their rules,” he continued. “That’s fine by me, and my response is that’s fine, then I’m out, f— you.”

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Carlsen, who arrived that same day two minutes late to one of his rounds, is no stranger to controversy. But he explained that wearing the jeans had been simply a lapse in judgment. He explained that he had arrived from a lunch meeting and had had just enough time to quickly change in his room before making his way over to the tournament. 

When asked if he could continue on and abide by the dress code the following day, Carlsen said FIDE declined and told him he would not be paired if he didn’t change after his round. 

“At that point, it became a bit of a matter of principle for me.”

FIDE has also doubled down on its rules, noting that another participant had been given a similar warning for wearing “sports shoes.” That person changed and was able to continue on. 

Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen plays chess during the 6th TATA Steel Chess India Tournament at Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium.  (Dipayan Bose/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“The dress code regulations are drafted by members of the FIDE Athletes Commission, which is composed of professional players and experts. These rules have been in place for years and are well-known to all participants and are communicated to them ahead of each event. FIDE has also ensured that the players’ accommodation is within a short walking distance from the playing venue, making adherence to the rules more convenient,” the statement read. 

“FIDE remains committed to promoting chess and its values, including respect for the rules that all participants agree to follow.”

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A bicyclist is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after an SUV struck him in the South End Friday morning.

Police responded to the intersection of Albany and East Berkeley Streets at around 11:12 a.m. Friday for a motor vehicle strike call, according to a police report. The severity of the injuries necessitated the presence of homicide and accident reconstruction investigative teams.

The striking vehicle was a gray 2013 Ford Escape, according to the report.

A Boston Police Department spokesman confirmed to the Herald at around 6 p.m. that the bicyclist was still in critical condition and that his injuries were still life threatening.

Cops nab one of Boston’s most wanted

BPD officers arrested a man who had made the department’s most wanted list for charges including aggravated assault and battery, mayhem and armed robbery.

A brief BPD update states that Christopher Anderson, 39, of Quincy, was arrested in the area of 88 Bailey Street on Thursday afternoon. He is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.

Assault suspect sought

The BPD is looking for a man they describe as “a black male, light complexion, wearing all black clothing, and black gloves” for an aggravated assault Wednesday afternoon in the 700-block of Dudley Street in Dorchester.

Police ask that anyone who recognizes him to contact detectives at (617) 343-4275 or to provide information anonymously through the CrimeStoppers tip line by calling 1-800-494-TIPS (8477) or texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was hit with a hefty fine for a facemask penalty against the Baltimore Ravens. On the play, Fitzpatrick dragged Zay Flowers down by his facemask, and for it, he will pay a fine over $11,000.

This is not the first time that Fitzpatrick has been fined this season. He was fined during the last Steelers-Ravens game for a late hit. Fitzpatrick has been fined three times this season.

The Steelers were among the most-fined teams in the NFL in 2023, but have cut down on that significantly this year. Fitzpatrick is one of the more heavily fined Steelers this season as a result, but he is not even close to the league leaders in that metric.

He has struggled at times this season, though, and the Steelers have been looking for solutions on the back end. Can Fitzpatrick be part of that, or is he falling short uncharacteristically? If Pittsburgh is going to win a playoff game, Fitzpatrick will have to be a critical part of the turnaround.

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