Chess master Magnus Carlsen returns to game after dispute over dress code

When chess great Magnus Carlsen sat down on Friday to play in a championship, he never imagined something other than his chess moves would be scrutinized around the globe. You can see the jeans he wore that led to a stalemate over style after chess officials told him they violated the dress code. Paired with a jacket, Carlsen said he'd worn them to a lunch meeting and promised to ditch the denim before the next day of competition. But he says he was fined $200 and given an ultimatum. And then I got a warning that I would not be paired if I didn't go change my immediately clothes. The world's number one chess player was told to swap out the jeans or he couldn't play. He refused and was disqualified. He then quit the championship and threatened to skip another one starting today. For its part, the International Chess Federation said its dress code ensures professionalism and fairness for all participants. They were saying that jeans were generally not allowed. If it's generally not allowed, that must mean that there must be exceptions. Carlsen became a grandmaster at age 13 and is considered to be a bit of a chess world maverick. Using AI generated images, fans made light of the controversy. Some said Carlsen was in the wrong. Others felt the punishment was too harsh. And with the story getting a lot of attention, the Chess Federation finally blinked, easing its rules, saying it will allow for elegant minor deviations of the dress code. And there he is. And sure enough, this afternoon, Carlsen showed up wearing jeans. As a matter of principle, I'm definitely playing in jeans. A champion whose jeans gambit paid off. Jon Venna, Valley Rouse, CTV News, Toronto.