A bizarre incident involving chess legend Magnus Carlsen has gone viral from the Grenke Chess Festival, where he first agreed to pose for a selfie with 18-year-old Kazakh player Alua Nurman moments before the round.
Later, in a surprising twist, Carlsen immediately reported the incident to the arbiter, leading to the confiscation of Nurman's phone as per FIDE regulations on electronic devices. Here's what exactly happened and what the rules say.
What do FIDE rules say about carrying phones and electronic devices?
The dramatic moment occurred just before the second round match between Carlsen and Nurman in Karlsruhe, Germany on Friday. As the the teenage prodigy from Kazakhstan seemingly asked for permission from Carlsen for a selfie, the 35-year-old obliged. But moments later, Carlsen also notified one of the tournament arbiters, who spoke to Numran and took her phone away. The game between them kickstarted a few moments later.
According to FIDE regulations, players are not allowed to carry smartphones or electronic devices without the permission of the arbiter. Although the electronic devices are allowed in the bags, they must be completely switched off. Additionally, players cannot reach for their bags brought with them without prior consent. As far as the result of the match itself is concerned, Carlsen beat Nurman relatively easily, continuing his strong run in the tournament.
'I'm very grateful that Magnus agreed to this' - Alua Nurman
Nurman, who lost to the World No.1 in 44 moves, cited that Grandmaster Etienne Bacrot's gesture encouraged her to ask Carlsen for a selfie. Speaking to ChessBase India, she stated:
'Last year, Etienne Bacrot also took a selfie. I thought like, why not? I'm very grateful that Magnus agreed to this.'
Has a similar incident taken place with Magnus Carlsen?
Meanwhile, it is the second time that Carlsen has been involved in such a moment. Bacrot, the eight-time French champion, had also asked for a selfie. Although Carlsen had obliged for a selfie on that occasion, he did not reach out to any arbiter over that incident.
The 35-year-old did complain but it was against the wrist watch worn by Grandmaster Victor Mikhalevski, claiming how it was distracting him.