Magnus Carlsen, the world’s number one chess player, stirred controversy during the 2024 World Blitz Chess Championship final when he and Ian Nepomniachtchi decided to share the title. The unusual resolution has sparked debates among chess enthusiasts and experts alike, with some accusing the players of “match-fixing.”
The Agreement to Share the Title
On New Year’s Eve in New York, Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi faced off in a tie-break series after drawing three games. Before the fourth game began, Carlsen approached the chief arbiter with an unprecedented proposal: sharing the championship. Once the arbiter approved, Carlsen consulted Nepomniachtchi, and the two agreed to stop the match and accept joint ownership of the title.
The moment brought to mind the Tokyo 2020 Olympics men’s high jump final, where Qatari athlete Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi shared the gold medal after tying in their performances. Similarly, Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi, who are known to be friends, celebrated their shared victory together.
During the award ceremony, there was only one trophy. Nepomniachtchi offered it to Carlsen, but the Norwegian declined, insisting the Russian should take it. For Nepomniachtchi, it marked a career milestone—his first world championship title after six runner-up finishes across different formats of chess. Meanwhile, Carlsen, a 19-time world champion, appeared unbothered by relinquishing sole ownership of the title.
Look how happy Nepo was:
Writing History and Raising Questions
The shared title is a first in chess’s long history. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) hailed the moment, stating: “History has been written today”.
However, not everyone celebrated the decision. Critics accused Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi of “match-fixing” after a backstage video from ChessBase India surfaced, where Carlsen allegedly suggested that they could continue playing quick draws until FIDE conceded to their request.
The controversy echoes the 2023 World Blitz Chess Championship, where Nepomniachtchi and Daniil Dubov were disqualified for allegedly “match-fixing” after making humorous and unserious moves during their game.
Community Reactions
Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard took to X (formerly Twitter) to launch a poll asking whether Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi should be stripped of their shared title for alleged match-fixing. A significant 76% of participants voted “yes,” while the remaining 24% argued that Carlsen’s comments could have been a joke and not indicative of actual intent.
FIDE has yet to issue an official statement regarding the controversy, but the debate continues to divide the chess community. Although, Carlsen replied that he’s clearly joking in that conversation.
A Broader Controversy Surrounding Carlsen
Another aspect that has drawn criticism from professionals is Carlsen’s perceived “dark arts” within FIDE. Earlier, during the 2024 World Rapid Chess Championship, Carlsen withdrew and threatened not to play blitz chess after being suspended for a round for refusing to change his jeans.
This decision had been made by FIDE Vice President Viswanathan Anand and Secretary General Emil Sutovsky. However, just a day later, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and sponsor representatives convinced Carlsen to return to play blitz by revising the dress code rules to permit jeans. Carlsen agreed but declared he would definitely wear jeans in the blitz event.
Grandmaster Hans Niemann expressed frustration on X (formerly Twitter): “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. I’ll be working my heart out to make it to the final next year to ensure that no “CHAMPIONSHIPS” are arbitrarily “SHARED”.”
“The chess world is officially a joke. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE IN HISTORY. I can’t believe that the official body of chess is being controlled by a singular player FOR THE 2ND TIME THIS WEEK. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WORLD CHAMPION! FIDE goes from forfeiting Carlsen to creating an entirely new rule. Seems like the the regulatory body of chess, has no intention of being unbiased. They seem to only care about what one player thinks. Money and power corrupts absolutely. The unfortunate reality being proven true YET AGAIN”.
– Hans Niemann
Grandmaster Pavel Eljanov called the FIDE decision “History of what? Of complete and utter nonsense?” while Grandmaster Elisabeth Paehtz questioned: “So Carlsen decides on the format, the dress code and the title regulations?”
The controversy surrounding Carlsen’s influence extends to changes in the World Blitz Chess Championship format. Traditionally, players competed in 21 Swiss games, with rankings based on total points. The 2024 edition, however, introduced a new structure where players played 13 games, with the top 8 advancing to a knockout round. Ties in the knockout round would result in continuous play until a winner emerged.
World number two Fabiano Caruana defended Carlsen, stating: “You can’t blame the players, it’s the FIDE rules. Players just want to win the title and go home. Maybe they’re tired after a long match.”
A possible reason for Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi’s decision to share the title was the timing of the final tie-break, which extended past 7 p.m. on December 31, 2024, New York time. The players still needed to attend press conferences, interviews, and the awards ceremony, likely prompting them to expedite the process and celebrate New Year’s Eve.
Carlsen, who has been the world’s number one chess player for nearly 14 consecutive years, held the World Chess Championship title from 2013 to 2023. However, he relinquished the title in protest, advocating for the inclusion of rapid chess into the championship format without FIDE’s approval.
I’m a passionate board game enthusiast and a skilled player in chess, xiangqi and Go. Words for Attacking Chess since 2023.