Pakistan beat Israel 4-0 after refusing to play in the FIDE World Chess Olympiad

Team Pakistan switched to Team Israel (Image: Screengrab/x) Pakistan lost their opening round match against Israel at the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan after refusing to field players on all four boards.Israel won by default 4-0 in the Open section, leaving every board unplayed. The Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) said the decision followed Pakistan’s official state policy of not recognizing Israel.CFP President Syed Zeeshan Naqvi said the boycott was also to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.“We boycotted the match to show solidarity with the Palestinian people,” Naqvi said.Pakistan remains eligible to participate in the remaining rounds of the Olympics despite losing the opening round.

Pakistan says the boycott reflects the government’s stance

Naqvi said that Pakistan had a clear and consistent policy on Israel and that the federation could not participate in a match that was against the government’s position. The decision meant that Israel took the full four available points from the match without any games being played.

Chess Olympiad 2026: Format and schedule

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad takes place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 15 to 27 September 2026. It features separate Open and Women competitions, with teams competing in an 11-round format using the Swiss system. Each team will field four players in a match, with one reserve player available.The tournament takes place at the Silk Road International Exhibition Center and brings together national teams from around the world. The program also includes the third FIDE Chess Olympiad for people with disabilities.India is the defending champion in both the open and women’s sections, having won gold in both events at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest.