Pakistan has boycotted its scheduled chess match against Israel at the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad 2026 being held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, citing the country’s policy towards Israel and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
According to President of the Chess Federation of Pakistan, Syed Zeeshan Naqvi, Pakistan was scheduled to play against Israel in the pool round of the international tournament on Wednesday. However, the Pakistani team decided not to participate in the match against the Israeli side.
“Pakistan has a clear policy regarding Israel, and we cannot play against Israel in solidarity with Palestinian people,” Zeeshan Naqvi said.
He added that the decision is according to the Government of Pakistan’s policy against Israel.
The 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad is being hosted by Uzbekistan, with national teams from around the world participating in the prestigious international competition. According to FIDE, teams are competing in both the Open and Women’s sections.
The chess Olympiad brings together national teams representing numerous countries and is one of the major events on the international chess calendar.
