Chess Federation fines player for her ‘sports shoes’

The International Chess Federation has fined a 23-year-old chess player from the Netherlands during the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for wearing ‘sports shoes’.

FIDE, as the federation is known, has fined Anna-Maja Kazarian 100 euros for wearing what the organization’s referees called “sports shoes” during this week’s tournament. It also took Ms. Kazarian, who streams her games to more than 34,000 followers on Twitchto change into more formal shoes between matches.

If she were to fail to put on a change of shoes, which she had to pick up from her hotel room across the river, it would “result in her not being invited to the pairings for the next round,” the official said warning, which she received on a yellow laminated card.

The shoes in question are checked canvas Burberry sneakers with white rubber soles. She held them up in a YouTube video that she answered after the incident, saying the shoes had been a gift from her sister.

“I hardly ever wear them because they are beautiful,” Ms. Kazarian said in the 48-minute video, summarizing the day and her games.

The first rule of FIDE dress code for the tournament is ‘dress to impress’, according to the federation’s website. The dress code is intended to promote a “good and positive image of chess” and “will be strictly enforced,” according to the website.

In general, sneakers are allowed, but ‘sports sneakers’ are not. The difference between the two is not clearly stated in the dress code.

For women in particular, the following are not allowed: “sports shoes, clap shoes, any kind of jeans, any kind of inappropriate clothing (e.g. torn or holey fabric, unclean cloth), sports caps, sunglasses, revealing clothing. ”

The rules for men are similar. “Sports sneakers, T-shirts, any kind of jeans, any kind of inappropriate clothing (e.g. torn or holey fabric, unclean cloth), sports caps, sunglasses” are not accepted.

The ambiguity of the definition of “sports shoes” is troublesome for players deciding what to wear, said Pavel Tregubov, FIDE’s technical delegate to the tournament and a chess player. “I understand her position,” he said of Ms. Kazarian. FIDE will work on a clearer definition of sports shoes for future dress codes, Mr Tregubov said.

Ms Kazarian was not the only one to receive a yellow card with a warning during this week’s tournament. Arbitrators handed out two yellow cards in the open all-player section and three in the women’s section, Mr. Tregubov said, adding that all were issued because of sneakers. The referees only handed out the cards in cases where they were 100 percent sure the shoes were too sporty for the tournament, he said.

The yellow cards handed out at this year’s tournament, which saw 330 participants take part, were a new feature to ensure more people adhered to the dress code, Mr Tregubov said.

Ms. Kazarian was the only player who objected, Mr. Tregubov said, adding that “all the other players accepted it.”

Critics online were quick to condemn the strict dress code, with some claiming the chess organization has the wrong priorities.

Others questioned why a male player was allowed to wear white sneakers during the tournament, as seen in a photo posted by FIDE itself, while Ms Kazarian’s were deemed inappropriate.

Ms Kazarian expressed her disappointment in a telephone interview on Thursday at the way FIDE had handled the situation, saying it was stressful and unpleasant to be taken from the venue and driven to the hotel. In the YouTube video, Ms. Kazarian also said she felt like she was being treated as if she were a criminal.

“If she felt like a criminal, I’m very sorry,” Mr. Tregubov said. “Usually the referees are shy,” he added. “It’s not like in football.”

Ms Kazarian said the experience left her stressed and unfocused during her chess rounds on Thursday, a day after the incident. She wore heels on Thursday, she said.

“They should change the rule to make it clearer,” Ms. Kazarian said, adding that a blanket ban on all sneakers would have been easier to follow.

After Ms. Kazarian drove to her hotel on Wednesday and took off her sneakers, she returned to the venue to end the day’s play. But she was preoccupied with the situation, she said, which resonated until the next day.

“They acted like I hadn’t read the dress code,” she said. “Their attitude towards me was just not friendly.”