Candidates controversy: Alireza Firouzja claims arbiter told him ‘not to walk anymore during game’, change shoes for next game

Firouzja also claimed the arbiter had asked him to wear a different pair of shoes in the next round. He said that the arbiter’s words had made him lose focus.

What happened in Alireza Firouzja vs Ian Nepomniachtchi game?

Nepo was in trouble during the game at the Candidates, but escaped to hold on to a draw. The result kept him in the joint lead along with Indian teenager Gukesh after nine rounds.

“Shameful action by the chief arbiter Marghetis towards me during the game. Middle of the game in the most intense moment when I was walking during Ian’s move, chief aribiter came to me and told me to not walk anymore because my shoe is making noise on the wooden floor. He told me to not walk and bring new shoes for tomorrow but I have the formal shoe that is approved and am wearing it for more than 1 year. This was a big distraction for me during the game and I completely lost my focus. I told one of the organiser this arbiter needs to be punished,” Firouzja tweeted.

He went on to claim that he was being targetted.

Chess Candidates 2024 Highlights: Gukesh vs Ian Nepo ends in a draw; Vidit vs Pragg drawn as well

“Honestly all these unprofessional things are happening to me in almost every tournament and really its taking me to point of exhaustion,” he added.

The incident reminded social media users of the infamous incident where Anna-Maja Kazarian was asked to change her sneakers and was fined 100 euros by FIDE at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship.

Responding to a social media user on what kind of shoes he was wearing, Firouzja said: “Its a normal, formal men’s shoes. In the women section they are wearing high heels and no action by arbiter.”

What has the chief arbiter said about the Alireza Firouzja incident?

The chief arbiter for the event IA Aris Marghetis told Chess.com that since the venue is an old building, the floors are “a bit creaky” and that he had received a complaint from Nijat Abasov that he was getting disturbed by Alireza’s footsteps.

“Most players walk around during the tournament. But you don’t hear them walking, you hear the floorboard creaking. After about 60 minutes in, when Alireza was pacing around in the refreshment area, he had a very heavy footfall. It was ‘stompish’ if you will. That’s when one of the players, who was closest to the refreshment area, complained to me about the noise. As a chief arbiter I have a few responsibilities. One of them is to protect all of the players. So I had to make a decision, whether he was disturbing another player more than I would disturb him (by talking to him),” he said.

Marghetis said he made eye contact with the French GM and only spoke to him when Alireza had thrown him a look that suggested ‘what do you want?’ He added that he had merely suggested — rather than confronted or threatened — that Alireza walk around a bigger area in the hall rather than just in the refreshment area and that he consider wearing a different pair of shoes.