Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has denied allegations of match-fixing after a backstage video from the World Blitz Championship 2024 final surfaced, showing him and Ian Nepomniachtchi discussing the possibility of enforcing draws if their proposal to share the title was rejected. The viral clip ignited controversy within the chess community, prompting Carlsen to clarify that his comments were made in jest and did not reflect any attempt to undermine the integrity of the championship.
“I’ve never prearranged a draw in my career,” Carlsen said on Thursday, January 2.
“In the video, I’m joking with Ian in a situation with lacking decisive tiebreak rules. This was obviously not an attempt to influence FIDE. It was said in the spirit that I thought FIDE would agree to our proposal. If anything, it was a bad joke given the gravity of the situation.”
He further defended the quality of the match, saying: “I think the match itself showed two players playing high-level chess, equally matched and both deserving of a win.”
The controversy began on December 31, 2024, when Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi made history by sharing the World Blitz Championship title after seven rounds of the final match ended in a tie. This unprecedented decision, approved by FIDE, marked the first time the title was jointly awarded but drew sharp criticism from fans and players alike.
CARLSEN-NEPO VIRAL BACKSTAGE VIDEO
The backlash intensified after the viral video showed Carlsen seemingly suggesting to Nepomniachtchi that they could “just play short draws until they give up” if their proposal to share the title was rejected. American Grandmaster Hans Niemann has called for an investigation, while Indian Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan condemned the incident.
“This is cause for an investigation by the FIDE Ethics committee. I can’t believe that 2 players who maliciously accused me and tried to ruin my career are openly breaking the rules. The irony simply can’t get any worse,” Niemann had said on January 1.
Carlsen’s comments came after a tense final in which he initially took a 2-0 lead before Nepomniachtchi rallied to equalise at 2-2. Three sudden-death games followed, all ending in draws, prompting Carlsen to propose sharing the title—a decision that left fans divided.
Further complicating matters, the women’s section of the championship did not allow for a shared title. In that division, Grandmaster Ju Wenjun defeated Lei Tingjie 3.5-2.5 to secure the title outright, highlighting inconsistencies in tournament rules.
This incident comes on the heels of another controversy involving Carlsen at the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championships. Days earlier, he was fined USD 200 for wearing jeans in violation of the dress code, a decision he protested by refusing to change his attire and eventually withdrawing from the tournament.
However, Carlsen returned to play the World Blitz Championship after the dress code rules were relaxed.
