"Some animals are clearly more equal than others" - GMHikaru reacts as FIDE fines Chess player for wearing “strange shoes” in tournament

Chess Grandmaster and Twitch streamer GMHikaru took to his X account to make a subtle dig at Ian Nepomniachtchi's recent rant. This response came in the wake of Anna-Maja Kazarian's post, a participant in the ongoing World Rapid Chess Championship 2023. Kazarian shared that she was fined €100 for violating the dress code.

While she insisted that her sneakers weren't sports shoes (which aren't allowed in FIDE tournaments), the organizers appear to have fined her nonetheless. Upset, she posted this:

"Update: I got fined. This is absolutely ridiculous. @FIDE_chess please revert this warning. My shoes are NOT sports sneakers."

Chess player fined for allegedly wearing sports shoes (Image via X/@AMKazarian)

Hikaru, who saw this post, sardonically reacted to the post, stating:

"Some animals are clearly more equal than others."

Hikaru takes a dig at Ian Nepomniachtchi following his complaints (Image via X/@GMHikaru)

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GMHikaru's latest post garners reactions from the Chess community

Yesterday, Russian chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi expressed his grievances in an X post directed at FIDE. He voiced his complaint about Magnus Carlsen reportedly being provided with an additional lounge area for practice and relaxation, asserting that others, including himself, were not afforded the same privilege. Tagging FIDE, he posted this:

"As known, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. Is it fair to provide @MagnusCarlsen a personal lounge where he can rest and prepare for the game using a laptop, while nobody else has such an opportunity?"

Ian's appeals to FIDE (Image via X/@lachesisq)

This statement naturally ignited a fresh debate, with players like Fabiano Caruana sharing their opinions. Caruana emphasized that every player should have equal terms and opportunities in the competition.

GMHikaru, although not participating in the tournament, seems to have joined the conversation. In a sardonic response, he echoed Ian's sentiments from the previous day, adding his twist to the ongoing discussion.

His post also generated a significant number of reactions from his fans. Here are some of them:

Fans react to Hikaru's post about FIDE's fine (Image via X/@GMHikaru)

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Speaking about Chess drama, former World Champion and Chess Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik's Chess.com profile was recently sanctioned after he made a series of blog posts, seemingly accusing Hikaru Nakamura of cheating online. However, Kramnik refuses to label it as a cheating accusation.