A CHESS legend shocked fans after posing for a smiling selfie with an opponent – before immediately reporting her to officials for breaking strict rules.
The awkward moment unfolded at one of the largest tournaments in the world.
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen poses for smiling selfie with opponent – then reports her to judges for breaking rulesCredit: Refer to Source
Chess tournaments enforce strict regulationsCredit: Reuters
The Kazak rival player, Alua Nurman, asked chess master Magnus Carlsen for a quick photo moments before their match.
The five-time World Chess Champion happily obliged, flashing a broad grin for the camera.
After taking the selfie, Nurman placed the phone back in her handbag.
But Carlsen then walked over to the tournament arbiter and reported that his opponent still had her phone.
Officials approached the table and asked Nurman to hand over the device.
She complied and the phone was taken away before the match began.
The bizarre exchange has sparked a furious online debate, with some critics accusing the star of “snitching” and “beta behaviour” despite the strict rules designed to stop cheating in chess.
The incident happened at the Grenke Chess Festival in Karlsruhe, , a major FIDE event that attracts thousands of competitors from around the world.
Kazakh player Alua Nurman, ranked the No.2 women’s chess player in Kazakhstan behind Bibisara Assaubayeva, had already taken her seat when Magnus Carlsen arrived to face her.
Footage shared by ChessBase’s Abhudaya Ram shows the world No.1 happily leaning in for the photo, smiling widely as Nurman snapped the picture.
Carlsen’s decision to follow the rules sparked heated discussion online, with some fans questioning whether the selfie moment had been unnecessarily reported.
But officials said the regulations are applied strictly to all players.
Nurman later revealed she had been inspired to ask for the photo after seeing a similar moment the previous year.
She told ChessBase India: “Last year, Etienne Bacrot also took a selfie. I thought like, why not? I’m very grateful that Magnus agreed to this.”
The massive festival – running from April 2 to April 6 – sees more than 3,500 participants competing across multiple sections, making it the largest chess tournament in the world.
In the elite Freestyle Open A category, players are battling for a £178,000 (€205,250) prize fund, including £58,000 (€60,000) for first place.
The selfie controversy is not the only unusual incident to emerge from the competition.
In another moment, a player reportedly complained about an opponent’s distracting wristwatch, which officials eventually asked to be removed.
Chess tournaments enforce strict regulations on electronic devices in order to prevent cheating.
Players are not allowed to have access to phones during games unless they receive explicit permission from an arbiter.
Devices must be switched off and stored away, meaning that even briefly using a phone can lead to officials confiscating it.
Under FIDE rules, if a player is found to have a phone during a match they can face serious consequences – including expulsion from the tournament if discovered after a victory.
Carlsen following a major controversy that rocked the chess world.
In September 2022, American grandmaster Hans Niemann defeated Carlsen at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, , triggering accusations from the Norwegian star that his opponent had cheated.
The allegations sparked an extraordinary row – including wild online speculation that Niemann had used a remote-controlled vibrating sex toy to receive signals during the game.
Niemann has repeatedly denied the claim.
During an interview with , the American grandmaster was asked directly: “Have you ever used anal beads while playing chess?”
The 20-year-old replied: “Well, your curiosity is a bit concerning, you know – maybe you’re personally interested, but I can tell you, no. Categorically, no, of course not.”
The explosive dispute led to a £79 million ($100million) lawsuit, which was eventually settled last month.
Niemann had sued Carlsen, Chess.com and fellow grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura for defamation after they raised concerns about cheating.
The case was ultimately dismissed before the parties entered discussions to resolve the dispute.
Chess.com later said it stood by its , which claimed Niemann had “likely” cheated in more than 100 online games, although it added there was no determinative evidence he cheated in any in-person matches.
Niemann himself admitted cheating twice in online games at the ages of 12 and 16, but denied doing so in professional over-the-board tournaments.
Magnus Carlsen is a five-time World Chess ChampionCredit: Rex
Players are not allowed to have access to phones during gamesCredit: AP
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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