The World Cup of chess has been engulfed in a race row after a Grandmaster claimed he was told he couldn't wear shorts because he "looked like a gypsy".

Anton Kovalyov, of Canada, stormed out of the $1.6 million event minutes before his third round match yesterday. It followed a blazing row with one of the event's main organisers.

Kovalyov, 25, had turned up wearing the same stripey shorts he wore in the previous round when he knocked out India's former world champion Vishy Anand.