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Magnus Carlsen is auctioning his infamous jeans on eBay, with proceeds going to Big Brothers Big Sisters. The jeans led to his exit from the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Championships.
Magnus Carlsen (PC: X)
World number one Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has put up his infamous jeans, which led to his exit mid-way through the 2024 FIDE World Rapid Championships in December, up for auction.
The product has been listed as ‘Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen’s #JeansGate Jeans’ on eBay. As of the time of this piece’s publishing, it was listed at $8,000 (approximately Rs 7 lakh) after 35 bids. The auction will continue for just over nine more days.
“The forbidden jeans – can now be yours. I am auctioning my jeans. A sentence I never thought I would write. But here we are. All proceeds go to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program,” Carlsen wrote on social media while providing a link to the site.
The forbidden jeans – can now be yoursI am auctioning my jeans. A sentence I never thought I would write. But here we are.
All proceeds go to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program🙏
*Game wornhttps://t.co/qgMlBdIkQq
— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) February 19, 2025
The Big Brothers Big Sisters program is an American organization working with children.
FIDE’s Chief Arbiter Alex Holowzsak for the World Rapid and Blitz Championship had warned Carlsen that his jeans didn’t adhere to the tournament’s dress code. The Chess superstar was fined $200 (around Rs. 17,000) and asked to change before the next game on the day.
Carlsen had reportedly told him that he’d wear trousers the following day, to which Holowzsak warned him of being unpaired for the next round if he didn’t oblige. To that, Carlsen quit the event.
“I am pretty tired of FIDE, so I want no more of this. I don’t want anything to do with them. I am sorry to everyone at home, maybe it’s a stupid principle, but I don’t think it’s any fun,” Carlsen told Norwegian broadcasting channel NRK in the immediate aftermath.
“At that point it became a bit of a matter of principle for me,” Carlsen later explained. “Honestly, my patience with them was not very big to begin with. And it’s okay. They can enforce their rules. That’s fine by me. And my response is that fine, then I’m out. Like, f** you. I don’t think anything more has to be said.”
Eventually, FIDE relaxed the dress code and Carlsen returned for the Blitz Championship. He and Ian Nepomniachtchi shared the first place.
