Israel loses Chess Olympiad matches against Netherlands and Bulgaria; here’s why

Grandmaster Anish Giri during the Global Chess League 2026 in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo) Israel’s men’s and women’s teams lost their sixth-round matches against the Netherlands and Bulgaria at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand on Monday after both opponents rejected a request to change the schedule to Yom Kippur.Israel’s men’s team was scheduled to face the Netherlands in the Open section, while the women’s team was scheduled to play Bulgaria. However, neither team showed up at the Silk Road International Exhibition Center, leaving two empty tables and the opponents awarding 4-0 wins by forfeit. The Netherlands had world number 1 Anish Giri on board.According to a FIDE statement cited by the Hindustan Times, Israel has formally requested that Monday’s matches either start after 7:30 p.m. local time or be moved to Tuesday, the tournament’s rest day. The request was made because of Yom Kippur, which is considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.Teams have the right to refuse requests that involve changing the standard playing times of the tournament. The Netherlands and Bulgaria disagreed with Israel’s proposed changes, leading to a forfeiture after the Israeli teams failed to show up for their matches.Israel made a similar request before Sunday’s fifth round, asking for an early start due to Yom Kippur. Singapore’s men’s team and Colombia’s women’s team agreed to the change, allowing those matches to be played as required.Monday’s matches had a different course, the Netherlands and Bulgaria rejected Israel’s request.The slumps came after another Israel-related incident in the opening round. Pakistan refused to play Israel as a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people and handed Israel a 4-0 win by forfeit.