World chess number one Magnus Carlsen has quit a major tournament after being told he would not be allowed to continue playing in jeans.

The great chess player was defending his titles at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when officials made the request.

The grandmaster said he offered to change his pants for the next day but was fined and told he had to change immediately.

The Chess Federation (FIDE) said its dress code was designed to “ensure fairness and professionalism for all participants.”

Carlsen is a well-known figure in chess who has caused some controversy in recent years.

Last year he settled a long-running legal dispute after accusing a rival of cheating at a tournament.

On Friday he withdrew from the championship for the short versions of the game due to a clothing dispute. Carlsen was the reigning champion in both blitz and rapid chess.

He added that he would not appeal the decision, saying: “Frankly, I’m too old to care too much about it at this point.”

He said he wore jeans on a lunch break and “didn’t even think about” swapping them for a different pair of pants on the way to the tournament.

He showed up in a shirt, blazer, dark jeans and dress shoes and played a few rounds before being asked to change.

When his offer to move the next day was rejected, Carlsen said it “became something of a matter of principle for me.”

In a statement, FIDE confirmed the 34-year-old had been fined $200 (£159) and said its rules had been applied “impartially”. They cited a case where another player was fined before changing his shoes on the same day.

Carlsen is a five-time world chess champion and remains a leader in the sport.

The Norwegian has long been considered an outsider in the chess world since he became grandmaster – the highest title in chess – at the age of 13.

In a now-resolved dispute with his opponent Hans Niemann, Carlsen abandoned a 2022 tournament after Niemann defeated him and subsequently accused his American rival of cheating.

Niemann had denied the accusations and even said he would “strip completely naked” to prove his innocence.

In August last year the couple settled a $100 million (£79 million) legal battle.