Pakistan Forfeits Chess Match Against Israel at Olympiad

The Israeli national chess team received a technical 0-4 victory against Pakistan at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, after the Pakistani team deliberately failed to appear for their scheduled match. Pakistan does not recognize Israel and refuses to maintain official, economic, or diplomatic relations, extending this stance to the chess board.

This was the only match across both the men's and women's tournaments that did not take place. Pakistan is expected to face disciplinary action from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for its no-show, a situation reminiscent of past instances where national teams have refused to compete against Israel.

An analogous event occurred at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, where Iran's women's team forfeited against Israel, resulting in a similar technical win. FIDE's ethics and disciplinary committee subsequently fined the Iranian Chess Federation 25,000 euros for violating regulations.

Meanwhile, the Israeli women's team, comprising players like Marcel Afruimska and Olga Gutmakher, began their Olympiad campaign with a decisive 4-0 win over Mozambique. In a separate event in Samarkand, the Israeli para-chess team also secured a victory against Bangladesh.

Israeli Chess Federation Chairman Dr. Tzvi Barkai expressed regret over the forfeited match, emphasizing that "chess and sports should remain above all else." He stated the team would continue to compete in all scheduled games, advocating for a separation of politics and sports. Chess Federation CEO Gil Borochovsky echoed this sentiment, highlighting the team's focus on competition and representing Israel with pride.