Magnus Carlsen returns to the chessboard: Clothing controversy resolved

The legendary chess player Magnus Carlsen is planning his return to the Rapid and Blitz World Championships in New York after initially leaving the tournament due to a controversy over the dress code. The decision by the World Chess Federation FIDE to exclude Carlsen from a round because he was wearing jeans led to his temporary withdrawal. In an interview with the YouTube channel of the Take Take Take app, the 34-year-old announced on Sunday that he will nevertheless compete again. 'To make it short: I will play at least one more day here in New York. If it goes well, maybe another day after that,' Carlsen explained. He also mentioned having held talks with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich following the incident. Carlsen emphasized how much blitz chess means to him and that he wants to give his fans the opportunity to see him play once more. Dvorkovich regretted the escalation of the situation in a post on the FIDE X account and acknowledged Carlsen's essential role in the chess world. To avoid future conflicts, he announced an attempt to make the dress code at the Blitz World Championship more flexible to allow minor deviations. Carlsen made it clear that he would definitely not forego his preferred attire the next day. 'As a principle, I will definitely play in jeans tomorrow,' he emphasized resolutely.