Chess champion quits tournament over dress code

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2025/03/18

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: Chess champion quits tournament over dress code

Vocabulary Match

officials •• charged
fined •• said no
refused •• demanded
explained •• said
insisted •• managers
frustrated •• angry

Vocabulary Answers

officialsmanagers
finedcharged
refusedsaid no
explainedsaid
insisteddemanded
frustratedangry

Article

World chess number one Magnus Carlsen has quit a major tournament after being told he couldn't wear jeans.

Carlsen was playing in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when officials said his jeans broke the dress code. He was fined $200 (£159) and told to change, but he refused.

Carlsen explained he had a quick lunch before the match and didn't think about his jeans. He offered to change the next day, but officials insisted he do it immediately. Frustrated, he decided to leave the tournament. Later, he joked about his outfit on social media, sharing a photo of his jeans and jacket.

Quiz

  1. Why did Magnus Carlsen quit the tournament?
  2. What did the officials say about Carlsen's jeans?
  3. How much was Magnus Carlsen fined for wearing jeans?
  4. What did Carlsen do on social media after leaving the tournament?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. Magnus Carlsen quit because he couldn't wear jeans.
  2. Officials said his jeans broke the dress code.
  3. He was fined $200 (£159).
  4. He joked about his outfit and shared a photo of his jeans and jacket.

Conversation

A:Magnus, why are you leaving the tournament?
B:They told me I can't wear my jeans!
A:Really? But they're just jeans.
B:I know, right? I even offered to change tomorrow.
A:That's a bit strict. What will you do now?
B:I'll post a funny picture online and relax!

Discussion

  1. Have you ever had to follow a dress code?
  2. Do you think jeans are okay for a chess tournament?
  3. What would you do if you were fined for your clothes?
  4. How do you feel about sharing funny moments on social media?

Source Material

https://news.sky.com/story/world-chess-number-one-magnus-carlsen-quits-tournament-after-refusing-to-change-jeans-13280876

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