Pakistani chess team forfeits opening match against Israel at chess Olympiad in Samarkand

The Pakistani national chess team forfeited its opening-round match against Israel at the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, handing its opponents an automatic 4-0 walkover victory on Wednesday.

The match was scheduled for the opening round of the international tournament, but the Pakistani squad chose not to field players on any of the four boards in the Open section. Official tournament records listed the two national teams as opponents, but all four boards remained unplayed.

Addressing the decision in statements to local news outlets, Pakistan Chess Federation President Syed Zeeshan Naqvi explained that the forfeit aligned with the country's official diplomatic position regarding Israel. "We have boycotted the match to express solidarity with the Palestinian people," Naqvi told local reporters.

Naqvi added that the federation had a clear and consistent policy that prevented it from participating in any match that contradicted the Pakistani government's stance. Despite declining to play the fixture against Israel, the national team will continue to participate in the remaining rounds of the broader biennial tournament, which runs through September 27.

Dr. Zvika Barkai, President of the Israel Chess Federation, said in a statement to The Jerusalem Post, “We cannot change global political trends or the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Israel. What we can do is keep showing the positive side of Israel through chess.

Barkai: Jerusalem to host two major international chess events in November

“This is exactly what we are doing. This coming November, Jerusalem will host two major international chess events – the Jerusalem International Open and the Jerusalem Masters – bringing players and guests from many countries around the world to Israel, including some of the world’s leading chess players,” Barkai said.

“For us, this is the right way to respond to the current atmosphere: to continue creating positive international events in Israel, to bring people together through chess, and to give participants from around the world the opportunity to come here and experience Israel for themselves. We are not discouraged by one incident or another. We will continue our work and our efforts to show the world, through chess, the positive side of Israel,” Barkai told the Post.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) did not respond to the Post's emailed request for comment by the time of publication.