The world’s number one chess player has caused an uproar and is facing match-fixing allegations after sharing his world title with his Russian rival.
Norwegian chess champion Magnus Carlsen, 34, was competing against Ian Nepomniachtchi, also known as Nepo, at the World Blitz Championships when something unexpected happened. Carlsen leaned over the board and offered his opponent a deal while the game was a draw.
‘Would you agree to maybe share first [place]?’, Carlsen asked Nepo, in a video shared on X.
In the blitz format, chess players have three minutes and two seconds per move added to the clock to complete a game.
But instead of playing on until one player won, Carlsen’s rival agreed to his suggestion.
This move was later approved by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), which resulted in both Carlsen and Nepo being declared world champions. As a result, they shared the $90,000 prize.
The decision, however, has sent chess fans and fellow players into a rage.
American chess grandmaster Hans Niemann, 21, who was knocked out by Carlsen in the quarter finals, took to X to criticise the outcome of the game.
Following this unprecedented decision, Carlsen took to social media to express his disbelief and frustration. He criticized the situation, stating that such an occurrence had never happened before in the history of chess. He also voiced concerns about the governance of the sport, suggesting that it appeared to be influenced by individual players, and this was the second such incident in the same week.
‘There’s one world champion. It’s not a title that you can just ‘SHARE”.
Niemann had previously sued Carlsen for $100 million two years ago for libel, but both parties ultimately reached an agreement.
Chess prodigy Christopher Hikaru Nakamura also condemned the action, telling his two million YouTube subscribers that it was ‘completely unacceptable’ and that FIDE officials had ‘effectively bowed to Magnus’ wishes’.
‘I myself have been in a tiebreak against Magnus Carlsen for the 2019 World Blitz Championship and there was no such proposal. So why do we now suddenly end up in the situation where it is okay?’, he added.
Chess fans also chimed in on social media.
One X user wrote: ‘Pathetic joke. Players are deciding themselves and FIDE openly posting about it. The last man standing should be the champion. When did player became greater than the game?’.
Another said: ‘And FIDE agreed to it? I didn’t know Fide bows to the whims of Carlsen’.
‘[I don’t know] what it’s called in chess but in other sports it’s called match-fixing’, another said.
Match-fixing is a term used when players intentionally try to achieve achieve e predetermined result by violating the games’ rules.
The world chess champion responded to the allegations in a social media post.
‘The match itself showed two players playing high level chess, equally matched and both deserving of a win’, he said.
Others, however, praised the outcome and the players’ unified act.
One X account called the moment the ‘greatest act of sportsmanship and professional decency I’ve ever seen in my 63 years’.
Another wrote: ‘Two great masters at play – wonderful decision’.
This is not the first time Carlsen is at the centre of controversy.
Earlier this week, the world chess great quit the World Blitz championship after he was told by FIDE he could not participate while wearing jeans.
He was fined $200 after being given the opportunity to change into the correct attire, which he rejected.
However, after being told he would not be allowed to continue, he reportedly responded ‘I’m out, f*** you’.
In a statement, FIDE said its dress code regulations were designed to ‘ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants’.
After significant backlash, however, FIDE announced that they would relax its dress code to allow for ‘elegant minor deviations’ of its official list of acceptable attire.
As a result, Carlsen said he would return to the tournament but said he would continue to wear jeans as a matter of principle.
