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Alloa Norman took a selfie with Magnus Carlsen (Photo via @ChessbaseIndia)
NEW DELHI: A simple selfie request turned into an unexpected situation at the Greinke Free Chess Festival in Germany. Just before the match, Kazakh player Aloa Norman asked Magnus Carlsen to take a selfie with him. He agreed without hesitation and stood with her. However, immediately afterwards, a tournament official reported the interaction. According to the rules of chess, Norman’s phone was taken away immediately and the match started normally.Chess tournaments follow strict rules regarding electronic devices to prevent cheating. Players are not allowed to use phones or even maintain access to them during games unless they have special permission.
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Appliances should be turned off and stored away safely. Since Norman took out her phone to take the selfie, officials had to confiscate it immediately.He watches:
Despite the difficult moment, the match continued without any delay. Carlsen maintained his focus and continued his strong showing in the tournament, eventually defeating Norman as part of his ongoing winning streak.Interestingly, a similar situation had occurred at the same event the previous year.
Another player took a selfie with Carlsen, and his phone was later taken by officials.Norman later shared that this previous incident inspired her. “Last year, Etienne Bacrot also took a selfie. I thought, why not? I’m very grateful that Magnus agreed to it,” she told ChessBase India.The tournament also had other unusual moments, including a complaint about a distracting wristwatch worn by an opponent, which was eventually removed.
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Overall, although the selfie caused a brief stir, it highlighted how seriously chess authorities take enforcing rules, even in seemingly innocuous situations.
