Alireza Firouzja’s team might be instructing him to change his chess play as the grandmaster has had a rough start to the Candidates tournament, but the chief arbiter had another suggestion for the fashion-mad player: change your shoes.
The Iranian-born grandmaster, who plays for France, was told by chief arbiter Aris Marghetis to either spread his walking area or wear softer shoes after another player in the tournament complained about the noise Firouzja was making on Sunday during his round nine game against Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi.
“The floors are a little bit creaky, the players are used to that. When most players walk around during a round, you hear a creak.
But Firouzja had a very heavy footfall, it sounded like boots. It was stompish, if you will,” Marghetis said in Toronto, where the double round robin tournament is being held.
“When I was reaching the conclusion that it was too loud, one of the players (Nijat Abasov of Azerbaijan) officially complained to me. So I had to make a decision.”