Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana cry foul over Magnus Carlsen being given additional privileges at FIDE World Rapid and Blitz event

The ongoing FIDE Rapid and Blitz Championship at Samarkand has run into controversy with multiple participating grandmasters taking to social media to complain about FIDE giving preferential treatment to former world champion Magnus Carlsen.

Players like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier Lagrave and Pentala Harikrishna tweeted about Carsen being provided additional facilities like a private lounge between games. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik also chimed in, calling out FIDE.

It is learnt that Carlsen has been provided a private lounge since 2016 at every edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz championship. Compared to the World Chess Championship, the World Rapid and Blitz event happens yearly. Players compete in multiple games in a day: in the open section players competed in five rounds on Day 1 (Tuesday) and will compete on four games each on Wednesday and Thursday. The blitz portion of the Championship will start from Saturday with players playing 12 games on Day 1 and nine rounds on the final day.

Dear @FIDE_chess and organisers of the Championship! 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 to the game using a laptop, while nobody else has such an opportunity?

— Ian Nepomniachtchi (@lachesisq) December 26, 2023

“Dear FIDE and organisers of the Championship! As known, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. Is it fair to provide Magnus Carlsen a personal lounge where he can rest and prepare to the game using a laptop, while nobody else has such an opportunity?” tweeted Russian grandmaster Nepomniachtchi, who had lost a World Chess Championship battle against Carlsen in 2021.

“Can’t be stressed more that everyone should play under the same conditions,” added US grandmaster Caruana, who also had lost a World Chess Championship battle against Carlsen in 2018.

“Because we love drama and I also believe all the players should have equal playing conditions. The personal lounge is not the issue here but the easy access to a computer in between the games is one serious inequity,” tweeted Vachier Lagrave.

Can't be stressed more that everyone should play under the same conditions https://t.co/B3FyJsoyJM

— Fabiano Caruana (@FabianoCaruana) December 26, 2023

Even Kramnik, who is not competing at the event, but has been very vocal since starting his Twitter account recently, could not resist weighing in.

“I agree with Yan, not that Magnus shouldn’t get such a space of course, but maybe at least few others must have a comfortable rest room to rest and prepare between rounds, very important in such a long and tiring event,” the Russian tweeted.

Carslen’s father Henrik, when asked about the controversy, told a Norway channel that his son doesn’t have access to a laptop between games.

However, the rising number of tweets from players forced FIDE to tweet a clarification.

“To make it clear, none of the participants of the Rapid and Blitz championship have been granted with special conditions and even if in between rounds any of the players has been provided with an access to external premises as per the invitation of FIDE officials, full fair play control has been provided. Furthermore, everyone is allowed to use their gadgets in between the rounds according to the rules,” FIDE posted on X.

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