Pakistan has declined to play its scheduled match against Israel at the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Chess Federation of Pakistan said the decision was in line with the country’s policy towards Israel and reflected Pakistan’s stated solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The two teams were scheduled to meet on Wednesday in the opening round of the prestigious international chess tournament. However, Pakistan did not participate in the fixture, resulting in the scheduled match against the Israeli team not being played.
Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) President Syed Zeeshan Naqvi said Pakistan had a clear and consistent policy regarding Israel and that the federation could not participate in a match contrary to the government’s policy.
Naqvi said the decision was also intended to convey a message of solidarity with the Palestinian people. “We have boycotted the match to express solidarity with the Palestinian people,” he said. He further said Pakistan’s participation in international sporting events would continue, but the federation would respect the Pakistan government’s official position on Israel.
The 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad is being held in Samarkand from September 15 to 27, bringing together national teams from around the world. The event features separate open and women’s competitions, with more than 390 teams registered across the two sections.
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.