The chess world has been filled with controversy lately, and it all began during the year-ending FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship. During the Rapid Championship, Magnus Carlsen was fined and not included in a late round pairing due to wearing jeans, which wasn’t allowed by FIDE’s regulations. The World No. 1 was asked to change, but he refused to do so and said he would change his jeans the next day. With the FIDE refusing to adjust, Carlsen decided to walk off.

He made his comeback at the Blitz Championship, with FIDE also modifying the dress code rule. Controversy hit again in New York, but this time during the final between Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Carlsen began the final with two wins, and then needed a draw to win the title. Ian made a comeback in the third game, and then made it 2-2 in the fourth game. After sudden death ended as a draw, Carlsen offered to share the title, which FIDE didn’t agree with. But after the intervention of FIDE President, they agreed to let Carlsen and Ian share the title. In a viral video, Carlsen could be heard telling Ian to play short draws if the FIDE didn’t agree to them sharing the title.

The viral video sent social media into a state of meltdown, with many chess Grandmasters and fans accusing him of match-fixing. Carlsen later released a statement on X, where he revealed that his words in the viral video were a joke. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky in particular, decided to publicly call-out Carlsen.

Peter Heine Nielsen attacks FIDE

Carlsen’s long-time trainer Peter Heine Nielsen, who also coached Viswanathan Anand in the past, took to X to defend the Norwegian and hit back at the Israeli Grandmaster’s accusations.

Nielsen accused FIDE of being controlled by the Kremlin (a group of buildings in the center of Moscow that serves as the official set of the Russian government) and Vladimir Putin.

“No, you literally dont care that FIDE is being used by the Kremlin Extreme war propaganda by Karjakin. Several thousand tournament in illegally occupied Ukraine Greetings and orders by Putin to “neutral” Russian athletes. Sponsors with ties to Russia. Its wrong”, he wrote.

It is worth noting that FIDE President is Arkady Dvorkovich, who is a Russian politician. He is a former Deputy Prime Minister and was also an Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation.

During the jeans scandal in New York, Carlsen also accused FIDE of threatening players participating at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. But FIDE CEO Sutovsky later denied such allegations, and urged fans to ask D Gukesh for the truth.