Magnus Carlsen tapes over betting sponsor logo to avoid fresh war with FIDE in Doha

Magnus Carlsen at the FIDE World Rapid Championship with the Betby logo covered with tape. (PHOTOs: Lennart Ootes via FIDE)

Carlsen has had a long-term sponsorship with Betby, a betting company which calls itself a B2B provider of top-tier sports betting services, since October 2024. Since the partnership came into effect, Carlsen has sported the company’s logos at two spots: on his jacket sleeves and on his shirt. Carlsen also started the World Rapid Championship with the Betby logo visible. But on Sunday, which was the third day of the event, Carlsen played his games at the World Rapid Championship with the tape obscuring the sponsor’s name even as the other sponsor logos — those of Chess.com, Take Take Take and Team Liquid — were visible.

(LEFT) The Betby logo is seen on Magnus Carlsen’s jacket on Day 1 of the FIDE World Rapid Championship; (RIGHT) Carlsen at the press conference with the logo taped off. (PHOTOs: Screengrab via FIDE YouTube, Lennart Ootes/FIDE)

FIDE’s Strict 2025 Dress Code Explained

FIDE’s directives noted that it would classify infringements under two categories: minor ones (those committed without specific intent) and major ones (demonstrating disregard for or denial of the dress code rules as a whole, or showing disrespect toward FIDE, the opponent, or their countries and national symbols).

FIDE said that “sloppy or unkempt appearance, wrinkled clothing, or other minor deviations from the standard” would be considered a minor infringement. For first time minor offences, the fine would be at least €300 (approximately Rs 30,000) for open events and €150 (approximately Rs 15,000) for women’s events. The fine could go up to a financial penalty of five per cent of the player’s total prize money earned in the two events. Any further infringements will result in exclusion from the pairings for the next round.

Major infringements include incidents like wearing shorts, beachwear, sleeveless shirts (for men), or clothing/footwear with offensive content or logos of prohibited sponsors like betting companies, alcohol, tobacco brands. Each infringement will result in a financial penalty of 10 per cent of the player’s total prize money earned in the two events, but not less than €1,000 (approximately Rs one lakh) for open events and €500 (approximately Rs 50,000) for women’s events.

It was only last year at the same event, held in New York, that Carlsen had found himself at war with FIDE, the global governing body of chess, over him wearing jeans at the World Rapid Championship. The World No 1 had taken umbrage at a FIDE arbiter asking him to change into more formal trousers before the next round and had dropped out of the FIDE World Rapid Championships, before he was finally coaxed into playing the FIDE World Blitz Championships.

Carlsen had previously said that he was undecided about playing at this year’s World Rapid and Blitz Championship. Later, Carlsen explained why he had made the decision to play in Doha.

Ahead of this year’s event in Doha, Carlsen had promised that he would play in “tighter jeans”.