Candidates 2024: Alireza Firouzja's father raises concerns about organizers, warns of police intervention
As the Candidates tournament's final stage approaches, the controversy surrounding French grandmaster Alireza Firouzja rages on in Toronto, Canada. Firouzja is in a difficult situation, both on and off the table, with allegations and disagreements arising during the prestigious chess tournament.
Grandmaster Pavel Tregubov, FIDE's Technical Delegate for the Candidates, disclosed a concerning incident involving Firouzja's father during the tournament. Tregubov alleged that Firouzja's father threatened to call the police if he was not allowed to watch his son's games from the balcony of the playing hall.
The confrontation adds to the tensions surrounding Firouzja's participation in the event. The controversy erupted following round nine of the tournament when Firouzja faced current joint leader Ian Nepomniachtchi. Despite initially leading the game, the former eventually settled for a draw.
After the match, Firouzja took to social media to express his frustration with the tournament's chief arbiter.
"In the most intense moment when I was walking during Ian’s move, the chief arbiter came to me and told me not to walk anymore because my shoe was making noise on the wooden floor. He told me not to walk and bring new shoes for tomorrow but I have the formal shoes that are approved and have been wearing them for more than a year. This was a big distraction for me during the game and I completely lost my focus. I told one of the organisers this arbiter needs to be punished," he wrote.
Alireza's father threatens tournament dynamics
Despite changes made to allow team members limited access during certain times, Firouzja's father continued to be dissatisfied. Tregubov revealed that the Iranian-French grandmaster's father threatened to contact the police if his demands for balcony access were not met, prompting a firm response from tournament organisers.
Pavel Tregubov told Chess24 on the matter:
"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 was not allowed to enter the balcony whenever he wanted. We could not satisfy this request. We’ll be flexible. If he behaves accordingly. Today he announced he’s leaving."
Nepomniachtchi retains his position as joint leader with Indian Grand Master D Gukesh. With both players closely followed by contenders such as R Praggnanandhaa, the competition remains fierce as players battle for victory in the remaining rounds.