Summary Pakistan refuses to play Israel at Olympiad Samarkand 2026, citing government policy and expressing solidarity with Palestine. Meta Keywords: Pakistan Israel chess, Olympiad Samarkand 2026
SAMARKAND (Dunya News) - Pakistan refused to play its scheduled chess match against Israel at the ongoing Olympiad Samarkand 2026 in Uzbekistan.
The match between Pakistan and Israel was scheduled for today, but Pakistan decided not to play against the Israeli team in accordance with the government’s policy.
President Chess Federation of Pakistan Zeeshan Ali Naqvi said Pakistan had a clear policy regarding Israel and could not play against the Israeli team in violation of the government’s position.
Naqvi said the decision to skip the match against Israel was taken to express solidarity with Palestine.
The international chess event being held in Uzbekistan is being attended by teams from 203 countries around the world.
