Pakistan boycotts Israel match at Chess Olympiad

Pakistan has refused to play its scheduled first-round match against Israel at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The match between the Pakistani and Israeli teams was scheduled for Wednesday as part of the opening round of the international team tournament. Official tournament records list Israel and Pakistan as opponents, but show all four boards as unplayed.

President of the Chess Federation of Pakistan Zeeshan Ali Naqvi said the decision was taken in line with Pakistan’s established policy toward Israel. He said the federation could not participate in a match that would go against the government’s stated policy.

Naqvi also said the decision was intended to express solidarity with the Palestinian people. Pakistan has maintained its stated position of not recognising Israel and has repeatedly expressed support for the Palestinian cause.

The 46th Chess Olympiad is being held in Samarkand and features national teams from around the world. The tournament is scheduled to continue until September 27, with 11 rounds being played in the Open section. FIDE said around 200 national teams are taking part across the Open and Women’s competitions.

Pakistan’s Open team includes FM Muhammad Waqar, FM Amer Karim, CM Mafaaz Khalid, Zaman Sohail and Zorez Shabkhez, with Raja Gauhar serving as captain.

Israel’s Open team includes grandmasters Ilia Smirin, Maxim Rodshtein, Ido Gorshtein and Yahli Sokolovsky, along with Avital Boruchovsky.