Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed his shock at the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) harsh dress code enforcement, which led to Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen storming out a tournament in protest. The diplomat noted that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelesnky gets away with routinely flouting the formal dress code at official international events, and sporting military-style attire.
Speaking to Russia’s Kommersant newspaper on Sunday, Lavrov said: “The fact that world champion Magnus Carlsen was essentially booted out [of a competition] for appearing in jeans leaves me surprised, if not dumbfounded.” The Russian foreign minister clarified that while not a chess player himself, he follows the game.
“Then you need to kick Zelensky out of everywhere over dress code, this would solve many problems,”the official added.