FIDE Candidates 2024: Alireza Firouzja controversy explained

The 2024 FIDE Candidates had its first high-profile controversy after France’s Alireza Firouzja raised his objection against a tournament arbiter’s decision in the round nine of the competition.

Firouzja, through a series of social media posts, complained that the arbiter — Aris Marghetis — asked him not to walk during his match against Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, citing that “his shoes were making a lot of noise.”

The French GM added that the arbiter’s decision caused a loss of focus, with his game against Nepomniachtchi ending in a draw.

Firouzja also pointed out that he was wearing normal, formal shoes and that such decisions have been made against him frequently.

Tournament arbiter Marghetis was quick to respond to the allegations, saying that he decided to take up the action after another Candidate Nijat Abasov raised a complaint.

“Most players walk around during the tournament. But you don’t hear them walking, you hear the floorboard creaking. After about 60 minutes in, when Alireza was pacing around in the refreshment area, he had a very heavy footfall. It was ‘stompish’ if you will. That’s when one of the players, who was closest to the refreshment area, complained to me about the noise. As a chief arbiter, I have a responsibility to protect all of the players. So I had to make a decision, whether he was disturbing another player more than I would disturb him (by talking to him),” said Marghetis in an interview to Chess.com.

The controversy only deepened after Firouzja’s father (Hamidreza) threatened to call the police if he was not allowed to watch his son’s games from the playing hall balcony whenever he wanted to.

Pavel Tregubov, FIDE’s Technical delegate clarified the situation with the media, saying that player’s entourage was allowed access to matches only after the seventh round and that too only for fifteen minutes.

“But sometime after the beginning of the 10th round, my team told me that Hamidreza had contacted one of our staff members and threatened to call the police if he’s not allowed to enter the balcony whenever he wants. Obviously, we could not satisfy this request,” said Tregubov.

Tregubov added that the Hamidreza can still be allowed into the viewing area. “We’ll be flexible. If he behaves accordingly.”