Prefer Jewish News on Google
Israel forfeits Chess Olympiad matches on Yom Kippur after scheduling row
Israeli chess chiefs accuse international federation of failing to honour earlier agreement as Netherlands and Bulgaria awarded 4-0 victories
Israel’s national chess teams forfeited two matches after refusing to play on Yom Kippur, despite what Israeli officials say was a written agreement to accommodate the Jewish holy day.
The Israeli players did not compete in their scheduled games at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Monday, while observing the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The Netherlands and Bulgaria kept the original match times and were subsequently awarded 4-0 technical victories over Israel.
The Israel Chess Federation has accused the International Chess Federation (FIDE) of failing to honour an agreement reached months before the competition.
According to the Israeli federation, FIDE agreed in writing in January that fixtures immediately before Yom Kippur would be brought forward, while matches falling during the fast would be moved until after it ended.
But the arrangement was not incorporated into the tournament schedule. Instead, the teams drawn against Israel were asked whether they would agree to alternative playing times.
Singapore and Colombia agreed to changes for Israel’s fifth-round matches on Sunday, allowing the games to begin one hour and 15 minutes earlier so Israeli players could finish before Yom Kippur began.
The Netherlands and Bulgaria, however, did not agree to move Monday’s fixtures. Israel had sought to play after the fast ended that evening or on Tuesday, the tournament’s scheduled rest day.
FIDE has said the two teams were entitled under the competition rules to reject the request.
With the Israeli players observing Yom Kippur and not appearing for the scheduled time, the Netherlands were awarded a 4-0 victory over Israel in the Open competition, while Bulgaria received the same result in the Women’s event.
Dr Zvika Barkai, chairman of the Israel Chess Federation, told the Jerusalem Post: “We are very angry that the International Chess Federation failed to honour the commitments it made.
“Instead of including this in the tournament regulations, they planned to speak with the teams we were drawn against because they didn’t want to generate public discourse or attention around the issue; in reality, they did almost nothing, and we are very upset with them about this.”
Gil Boruchovsky, CEO of the Israeli federation, said: “The (international) federation did not enforce what had been agreed upon with us in advance, causing us significant harm.
“They did nothing to mitigate the damage it caused. They could have at least tried to prevent a 4-0 forfeit, which will severely hurt our ranking later on; we will consider our next steps – this will not go unchallenged.”
The incident comes after Israel was itself awarded a 4-0 victory earlier in the Olympiad when Pakistan refused to play its Open team.
Israel has continued competing following Yom Kippur, with the Olympiad due to run until later this month.
Jewish News has contacted FIDE for comment.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
