Israeli chess team penalized after Yom Kippur scheduling agreement falls apart

The Israeli chess team forfeited four matches at the International Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, after the International Chess Federation (FIDE) failed to reschedule their Yom Kippur matches. Despite a written agreement in January to adjust Sunday matches and reschedule Monday matches, FIDE only offered opponents the option to reschedule. While Colombia and Singapore agreed to early starts, the Netherlands and Bulgaria maintained original times, resulting in 4-0 technical victories against Israel. Dr. Zvika Barkai, Chairman of the Israel Chess Federation, stated, "We are very angry that the International Chess Federation failed to honor the commitments it made." Gil Boruchovsky, CEO of the Israeli Chess Federation, added that FIDE "did nothing to mitigate the damage it caused," which will severely impact their ranking. The Israeli Chess Federation plans to consider further action.