"This is absolutely ridiculous": Dutch chess Master Anna-Maja Kazarian calls out FIDE for €100 fine over dress code controversy

Dutch chess player and Twitch streamer Anna-Maja Kazarian has called out FIDE after she was fined €100 for violating the dress code during the ongoing World Rapid Championship. A complaint was filed against the player after an arbiter approached her at the venue over the make of her shoes, which she claimed did not violate any rules.

The International Chess Federation, which is in charge of governing various international competitions, has a set dress code that all participants need to adhere to while competing, and it seems that they have penalized Kazarian for not meeting their standards.

In a recent post on X, the chess player shared a picture of the fine imposed on her, claiming that her shoes were not in violation of the dress code. She described the penalty as "ridiculous" and wrote:

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

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Anna-Maja Kazarian claims her Burberry sneakers did not violate FIDE's dress code rules after being fined

As per the official guidelines set by FIDE, participants need to wear business casual clothes. The separate lists for participants, arbiters, and organizers are quite exhaustive, laying down rules for headwear, clothes, and the types of shoes women and men can wear to tournaments.

Sneakers are technically allowed, and the rules do specifically state that "sneakers with socks" are acceptable footwear for women players. However, sports shoes are not. In a previous post on X (formerly Twitter), Anna-Maja Kazarian revealed that while she was at the World Rapid Chess Championship, an arbiter confronted her about the shoes she was wearing, claiming that they were strange.

The arbiter had told the streamer that her shoes were "sports sneakers" and, despite protests, had told her that they could not be worn on the premises and that she should change. Kazarian posted a picture of the said shoes on X with the following caption:

"One of the arbiters stopped me and asked me if I could change my shoes because they were “strange shoes” and considered “sports shoes” It hurts to even walk in those and I definitely don’t want to use my Burberry sneakers for sports"

The post garnered a lot of attention from the chess and the online community at large. Here are a few reactions to the picture from people both for and against Anna-Maja Kazarian's argument:

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It appears that Anna-Maja Kazarian did end up changing her shoes after the fine was enacted, acquiescing to FIDE's demands. However, this is not the first time that the International Chess Federation has come under fire this week, with Ian Nepomniachtchi accusing them of being partial to famous players such as Magnus Carlsen.