The Israeli Chess Federation (ICF) stated that they contacted FIDE in January and published the approval document. The document from January 15 confirms the ICF’s request for a special schedule for the Israeli teams at the Chess Olympiad 2026.

Israel’s matches on September 20 were to end before 5:00 PM local time according to the agreement from FIDE. The matches on September 21 were to start no earlier than 7:30 PM. The letter was signed by FIDE Legal Director Aleksandr Martynov.

FIDE did not incorporate the arrangement into the tournament regulations. Schedule changes depended on whether Israel’s opponents agreed. The Singapore men’s team and the Colombia women’s team accepted Israel’s request and finished their matches before 5:00 PM on September 20. The teams of the Netherlands and Bulgaria rejected the request for a special schedule for September 21.

The ICF requested a special schedule to allow Israeli players to observe Yom Kippur. The religious holiday Yom Kippur is the holiest day in Judaism. It is celebrated with a strict 25-hour fast. People abstain from work and do not engage in competitive activities during the fast.

The Chess Olympiad 2026 takes place from September 16 to 27 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The members of the Pakistan team refused to play in the match against team Israel in the first round of the event. Israel received a technical victory 4-0 in the first round. The Israel team is in 48th place after 6 days of the event.

Credit: FIDE