Pakistan Forfeits Chess Olympiad Match Against Israel

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

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 their no-show. This incident echoes a similar event in the 2024 Budapest Chess Olympiad, where Iran's women's team forfeited against Israel, resulting in a technical win for Israel and a subsequent 25,000 Euro fine for the Iranian Chess Federation.

Israel's Olympiad team includes Grandmasters Maxim Rodshtein, Avital Boruchovsky, Ido Gurevich, Yahli Sokolovsky, and Ilia Smirin. In a separate event, Israel's para-chess team also competed in Samarkand, defeating Bangladesh after the Bangladeshi team appeared for their match.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Chess Federation, along with the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Jerusalem Municipality, continues to promote the Jerusalem Open Chess Championship, attracting hundreds of players from 30 countries. They emphasize an inclusive approach, inviting players from all nations to participate and keep politics out of sports.

In other results, Israel's women's team, featuring Marcel Afekimsky, Noga Orian, Masha Klinova, Olga Gutmakher, and Victoria Chernyak, began their Olympiad campaign with a decisive 4-0 win over Mozambique. Israeli Chess Federation Chairman Dr. Zvika Barkai stated that the teams came to compete with honor and expressed regret over the forfeited match, emphasizing that chess and sports should remain paramount. CEO Gil Burovsky added that despite such circumstances, the focus remains on competition and showcasing Israeli chess.