LAHORE: Pakistan has forfeited its opening-round match against Israel at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, with none of its four players taking their seats and the Israeli team awarded a 4-0 walkover without a move being played.
According to an official statement by the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP), the decision was deliberate. Federation president Syed Zeeshan Naqvi said the team boycotted the match to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, adding that the federation follows a clear and consistent policy of not playing any fixture that conflicts with the Pakistani government’s official position on Israel.
The two countries were paired in Round 1 of the Open section on Wednesday, September 16. Official tournament records list Israel and Pakistan as opponents, with each of the four boards recorded as unplayed. Under the competition rules, that produced an automatic 4-0 result and two match points for Israel.
Naqvi said Pakistan would continue to take part in international sporting events while respecting the government’s stated position. The forfeit applied only to the fixture against Israel; Pakistan did not withdraw from the Olympiad and has continued to play its remaining rounds in the Open section.
The boycott set the tone for an event that has struggled to stay clear of politics. The Olympiad had barely begun when several teams complained about accommodation, with the Indian squad the most vocal after players were left waiting for hotel rooms on arrival.
Russia, meanwhile, is absent from Samarkand altogether. The team remains suspended by FIDE, although individual Russian players may still compete internationally under conditions set by the federation — the first Olympiad in generations without a Russian side in contention for the Hamilton-Russell Cup.
The question of forfeits returned later in the week, this time to Israel’s disadvantage. Ahead of Round 6, the Israeli teams were unable to play on Yom Kippur. Israel proposed playing the match at night after the fast ended, or on the rest day, but the Netherlands were within their rights to decline and were awarded a 4-0 win in the Open section. Bulgaria received the same result against Israel in the Women’s section.
The outcome drew criticism from within the chess community, with Danish grandmaster Peter Heine Nielsen arguing that 4-0 forfeits in matches involving medal contenders distort the standings, because the tiebreak system rewards the team that receives the points at the expense of other contenders. The Israel Chess Association’s chief executive, Gil Borochovsky, said the governing body had done nothing to limit the damage caused by the scheduling clash and that the association would consider its options. The Israeli federation published a letter from FIDE confirming that the scheduling of its matches would be adjusted.
On the board, hosts Uzbekistan hold the sole lead in the Open section after beating defending champions India 2.5-1.5 in Round 6, the only team on a perfect 12 match points. China and Armenia follow on 11. In the Women’s section, China and Kazakhstan are the only teams on a perfect score.
The tournament resumes after a rest day, with Round 7 beginning on Wednesday, September 23 and Uzbekistan meeting China in the standout pairing. The Olympiad, the first to be held in Central Asia, closes on September 27, with more than 200 teams entered across the Open and Women’s competitions.
Refusals to play Israel have a long history at the Olympiad. At an earlier edition, Tunisia declined to play its scheduled match and the result was awarded to Israel. When the Olympiad was held in Dubai in 1986, Israel was unable to take part at all, and Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands stayed away in protest.
The incident lands in a familiar space. Fixtures and trophies involving Pakistan have repeatedly been shaped by politics this year, from India’s refusal to accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi to signals that Indian athletes may travel to Pakistan for the SAF Games. Pakistani teams have meanwhile continued to compete internationally, reaching the Asian Games 2026 and taking a tug-of-war bronze at the World Nomad Games in Bishkek.
Pakistan does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, and successive governments have tied recognition to a settlement of the Palestinian question. The chess federation’s decision applies that position to the board — at the cost, in this case, of four points and a full match.
No disciplinary action against Pakistan has been reported by FIDE, whose rules leave a team free to forfeit a fixture while remaining in the competition. Pakistan’s campaign continues in the closing rounds in Samarkand.
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