Magnus Carlsen auctions his ‘forbidden jeans’ for charity

World No. 1 chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has put up his infamous pair of jeans for auction, with all proceeds going to the Big Brothers Big Sisters charity.

The jeans, which became a symbol of Carlsen’s protest against FIDE’s dress code rules at the 2024 World Rapid Chess Championship, are currently listed on eBay for Charity under the title "Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen’s #JeansGate Jeans."

At the time of writing, bidding has reached $8,000 (approximately ₹7 lakh) after 35 bids, with the auction set to run until March 1. The jeans also come with a signed certificate of authenticity from Carlsen himself.

Carlsen’s outfit choice made headlines during the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in December 2024 when tournament officials asked him to change his jeans to comply with dress code regulations.

After initially refusing and being fined $200, Carlsen was later prevented from playing the final round of the day. Following a heated exchange with organizers, he chose to forfeit the tournament. The incident was widely covered by major media outlets, turning his jeans into an iconic piece of chess history.

Announcing the auction, Carlsen posted on social media:

"The forbidden jeans – can now be yours. I am auctioning my jeans. A sentence I never thought I would write. But here we are. All proceeds go to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program."

The NGO Big Brothers Big Sisters focuses on mentoring children and helping them build better futures. The funds raised will support youth chess clinics, furthering the sport at the grassroots level.