With only two seconds left on his clock, Magnus Carlsen paused the game after inadvertently scattering the pieces into disarray without completely rearranging them to the original position. The move was immediately ruled illegal. His opponent, a visibly frustrated Haik Martirosyan, could do nothing but see Carlsen argue with arbiter Chris Bird. Carlsen soon returned, extended a handshake, and conceded defeat. This wasn’t an isolated lapse in judgment by the Norwegian but one of four separate incidents during the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Doha alone. Many players have questioned FIDE’s reluctance to censure Carlsen but the parent body of chess have stressed to this newspaper that they are not concerned about his actions. The organisation also made clear that as long as the game’s visibility expands, with chess becoming increasingly mainstream and generating strong sponsor and engagement value, FIDE is satisfied with the overall direction. “FIDE is aware that, with the increasing global attention on major chess events, certain situations can lead to public discussion within the chess community. Such occurrences are …