Magnus Carlsen smiles for pre-match selfie, then reports opponent for using phone

Alua Nurman, a Kazakh woman Grandmaster, seized the opportunity to ask for a photograph with the five-time world champion before their match on April 4. Carlsen, 35, agreed to the request, leaning across the board for the cheeky selfie with a smile.

However, the friendly atmosphere shifted the moment the phone was put away. Under FIDE regulations and the specific rules of the Grenke festival, all electronic devices, including mobile phones, are strictly banned from the playing area to prevent cheating.

Carlsen stood up, found a judge and reported the presence of the phone. Following his report, officials approached the table and required Nurman to surrender her phone before the match could proceed, The Telegraph reported.

The young grandmaster, who is a silver medalist from the 2024 Chess Olympiad, appeared to take the situation with a grain of salt. When she later shared the selfie on social media, she added the caption “Magnus stays Magnus,” a nod to Carlsen’s reputation of strictly following rules.

Caảlsen won the game.

Nurman later explained that her move was inspired by French Grandmaster Etienne Bacrot, who had successfully performed a similar stunt with Carlsen at an event the previous year.

“I thought, why not?” she told reporters. “I’m very grateful that Magnus agreed to this.”

The incident has sparked a debate in the online chess community. While some viewers labeled Carlsen’s actions as “pedantic”, others defended him, noting that any player is responsible for following the strict anti-cheating protocols in professional chess.

Cheating via mobile phones has become a significant concern in the sport, with players historically using apps or receiving signals to gain an unfair advantage. To combat this, many major tournaments now use detection wands to scan players and the game area before a match. Some contests allow players to keep their phone but it has to be switched off.

The Grenke Chess Festival was held from April 1 to 6 this year, with cash prizes up to £58,000 (US$77,900).