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Comment by kevinventullo | Hacker News Reader

I wonder if there is even a single player in the tournament who cares about the dress code. It is hard to imagine anyone who was serious about chess caring about the material a player’s pants are made of. No, I think this falls squarely in the realm of bureaucratic administrators who have nothing better to do than assert their power and maintain the illusion of a connection between talent (great chess players) and the trivial signaling games of the upper class (the style of pants one is wearing).

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> I think this falls squarely in the realm of bureaucratic administrators who have nothing better to do than assert their power and maintain the illusion of a connection between talent (great chess players) and the trivial signaling games of the upper class (the style of pants one is wearing).

I concur except about the bureaucratic administrators. I think they do this because the upper class will replace them if they don't do the work of asserting the upper class's power.

The upper class has been wearing expensive jeans for a very long time.

The upper class doesn’t need dress code. They know they are the upper class. Dress codes are for petit bourgeois and the upper middle class who try to pretend but everyone knows they are actually middle class.

The upper class, however, seems to care about making other people follow a dress code. Think uniforms for a chauffeur, the long-standing rules around wearing white at Wimbledon, etc.

All the people rushing to their desk jobs were dressed perfectly. They had to play a part.

The billionaire they were working for wore stuff that was expensive, old and hence comfortable. He didn't have to play to anyone.

He did dress up to meet the president though, he had to play a part.

The president has to dress well all the time, he is always playing a part, in front of the whole world.

Wear your part. Or don't, if you don't want any part in all of this (which seems to be Magnus's motivation, or lack of it).

The only thing that's more ridiculous than an antiquated dress code is an antiquated dress code that's selectively applied to some players and not to others. Other players had to change, so FIDE could hardly make an exception for Carlsen. If Carlsen cares so little about the tournament that he can't even be bothered to change his pants, he should probably not have participated in the first place.

I’m sure there are some Type 1’s present: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SorkIX_ABCo (LocalScriptMan - Writing with the Enneagram: Type 1)

The title of the dress code PDF is helpful—-something like “proposal of Ms B Marinello”.

https://web.archive.org/web/20200925160442id_/https://www.fi...

But I wonder if another player complained to the administrators.

Beatriz Marinello is a professional chess player who was Chilean Women's Chess Champion in 1980 and was vice president of FIDE until 2018.

Possibly this is not the actual dress code? Or I'm missing something.

3.a. The following is acceptable for men players, captains, head of delegation. -- Suits, ties, dressy pants, trousers, jeans...

3.b. The following is NOT acceptable for men players, captains, head of delegation. -- Beach-wear slips, profanity and nude or semi-nude pictures printed on shirts, torn pants or jeans...

It's interesting that they are trying to enforce a different dress code for men and women. Surprising that's not seen some heat.

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