The International Chess Federation has fined a 23-year-old Dutch chess player for wearing “sport shoes” at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
FIDE, as the federation is known, fined Anna-Maya Kazarian 100 euros (about $111) for wearing what the organization’s adjudicators deemed “sports shoes” during a tournament this week. Kazarian, who streams games on Twitch to more than 34,000 followers, also had to change into more formal shoes between matches.
The official warning she received required her to change into a different pair of shoes in her hotel room across the river from the competition venue, but if she didn’t pick up the shoes, she would be “not included in the next round’s pairings.” They will no longer be invited.” Yellow laminated card.
The shoes in question are checkered canvas Burberry sneakers with white rubber soles. In a YouTube video recorded after the incident, she held up her shoes, which she said were a gift from her sister.
“I rarely wear them because they’re flashy,” Kazarian said in a 48-minute video recapping the day and the game.
The first rule of FIDE’s tournament dress code is “dress to impress,” the federation’s website states. The website says the dress code promotes a “good image and positive image of chess” and “shall be strictly enforced.”
Basically, sneakers are OK, but “sports sneakers” are not allowed. The difference between the two is not clearly stated in the dress code.
Especially for women, the following are not allowed: sports sneakers, rattling shoes, jeans of any kind, inappropriate fabrics of any kind (torn or holed, dirty cloth, etc.), sports caps, sunglasses, and revealing clothing. ”
The same rules apply to men. “Sports sneakers, T-shirts, jeans in general, inappropriate fabrics (torn, holed, dirty, etc.), sports caps, sunglasses” will not be accepted.
The vague definition of “sports shoes” makes it difficult for players to decide what to wear, said Pavel Tregubov, the tournament’s FIDE technical representative and chess player. “I understand her way of thinking,” he said of Ms. Kazarian. Tregubov said FIDE will work on a clearer definition of sports shoes in future dress codes.
Kazarian was not the only player to receive a yellow card with a caution during this week’s tournament. Tregubov added that the referee issued two yellow cards to all athletes in the open section and three yellow cards in the women’s section, all for sports shoes. He said the arbiter would only hand out a card if he was 100% sure the shoe was too sporty for the tournament.
Tregubov said the yellow cards issued at this year’s tournament, which had 330 participants, were a new feature to encourage more people to comply with the dress code.
Tregubov said Kazarian was the only player who objected, adding: “All the other players accepted.”
Critics online were quick to slam the strict dress code, with some claiming the chess organization had its priorities in the wrong place.
Others questioned why a male athlete was allowed to wear white sneakers at the tournament, given that Kazarian’s photo was deemed inappropriate, as seen in a photo posted by FIDE itself. there was.
In a phone interview Thursday, Kazarian expressed disappointment with FIDE’s handling of the situation and said being rushed from the venue to his hotel was stressful and uncomfortable. In the YouTube video, Kazarian said he felt he was treated like he was a criminal.
“I’m very sorry if she felt like a criminal,” Tregubov said. “Arbitrators are usually shy,” he added. “It’s different from football.”
Kazarian said the experience left him stressed and unable to concentrate during a round of chess on Thursday, the day after the incident. He said he was wearing heels on Thursday.
“The rules should be adjusted to be more clear,” Kazarian said, adding that an outright ban on all sneakers would have been easier to follow.
Kazarian drove to his hotel on Wednesday, changed into his sneakers, and then returned to the venue to finish the day’s game. But she was distracted by the situation, which affected her the next day, she said.
“They acted like I hadn’t read the dress code,” she said. “Their attitude towards me was not friendly.”