Israel Chess Teams Forfeit Matches on Yom Kippur After Schedule Dispute

Israel's national chess teams, both men's and women's, suffered 4-0 technical defeats at the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan on Monday, Yom Kippur, after their scheduled matches against the Netherlands and Bulgaria were not moved to accommodate the Jewish holy day. The Israeli Chess Association had previously reached a written agreement with the World Chess Federation (FIDE) in January to reschedule games that fell on Yom Kippur, pushing them to after the holiday and moving earlier games before its start. However, this agreement was not formally incorporated into the tournament regulations, leaving the scheduling dependent on negotiations with opposing teams.

While the teams from Colombia and Singapore showed sportsmanship and agreed to play their matches against Israel earlier on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Dutch and Bulgarian teams refused to adjust their game times. Consequently, FIDE awarded them technical victories over the Israeli teams. The Israeli Chess Association expressed anger at FIDE for not upholding its commitment, with Association Chairman Dr. Zviak Barkai stating that FIDE failed to properly document the agreement and took insufficient action to ensure compliance.

Barkai thanked the Colombian and Singaporean teams for their sportsmanship and indicated that Israel would reciprocate the gesture. He also noted that the Israeli teams had been performing well in the tournament, aiming for a top 15 finish, and that these technical losses would negatively impact their chances. The Israeli Chess Association is considering legal action and seeking compensation for the damages incurred by the teams due to the technical forfeits.