Carlsen and Nepo agreed to a draw after three straight draws in tiebreakers; while Ju beat compatriot Lei Tingjie.

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old blamed FIDE’s vice president and Indian Chess great Viswanathan Anand, stating that he and his father had a long conversation with him and others “which generally didn’t lead anywhere.” He said, “Arbiters are basically robots who cannot think on their own.” Carlsen further added that

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen played his first match at the World Blitz Championship after initially quitting the chess tournament due to a dress code dispute with organizers.

Definitely playing in jeans” says world No.1 after Fide eases dress code rules to allow for “appropriate jeans matching jacket”

The five-time world champion faced disqualification and a $200 fine after refusing to switch to formal trousers during the ninth round, as instructed by the chief arbiter Alex Holowczak.