Magnus Carlsen, world number one chess player, auctions controversial jeans for $36,100

A screenshot of Magnus Carlsen's famous jeans auctioned on eBay.

The eBay auction, which ended on March 1, saw a flurry of late bids, 29 in the final moments, pushing the price from $14,200 to the final $36,100. The winning bidder also paid $74 for shipping.

In total, 22 people placed 94 bids over the 10-day auction. The final price was nearly 100 times the jeans' retail value. Carlsen stated that all proceeds would go to charity.

The controversial pair of jeans were worn during the World Rapid Chess Championship on Dec. 27, 2024, held on Wall Street, New York and organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

At the tournament, referees repeatedly warned Carlsen, arguing that the jeans violated the tournament's dress code. Despite three official warnings and a $200 fine, Carlsen refused to change his attire but promised not to wear jeans the following day. Before his fourth game of the day, he was removed from the competing list, suspending him for one round. In response, the Norwegian grandmaster, who was the defending champion, withdrew from the tournament.

Carlsen’s disqualification sparked widespread debate, with many fans criticizing FIDE’s dress code as overly conservative. In protest, Carlsen also withdrew from the blitz championship scheduled for Dec. 29-30. FIDE later softened its stance, allowing him to compete in jeans.

"It was my thought from very early on that this was a fun idea. It's all going to a nice charity," Carlsen told Chess.com.

The jeans, made by an Italian luxury fashion brand, typically retail for $300 to $500.