Pakistan did not play its scheduled opening-round match against Israel at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The match was scheduled for Wednesday, September 16. Reports said all four boards remained unplayed.

Pakistan Chess Federation President Zeeshan Ali Naqvi explained the decision. He said Pakistan has a clear government policy regarding Israel.

Naqvi said the national team could not compete against Israel in violation of that policy. He also said the decision was intended to express solidarity with Palestinians.

Pakistan Skips Opening-Round Match

Pakistan and Israel had been paired against each other in the opening round. However, the Pakistani team did not take part in the scheduled contest.

Tournament records list Pakistan’s Open team with five registered players. The squad includes Muhammad Waqar, Amer Karim, Mafaaz Khalid, Sohail Zaman and Shabkhez Zorez.

Pakistan entered the Open competition with an average team rating of 2,082. Raja Gauhar is listed as the team’s captain.

The boycott became one of the notable developments from the tournament’s opening round.

Samarkand Hosts Major International Chess Event

The 46th Chess Olympiad is being held in Samarkand from September 16 to September 27, 2026. Uzbekistan and the International Chess Federation, FIDE, are organizing the event.

FIDE described the Samarkand tournament as record-breaking in terms of team participation.

The Open section has 208 registered teams. The Women’s competition features 192 teams, according to FIDE’s pre-event figures.

Together, around 400 teams are taking part across the two competitions. Players and officials have travelled from countries around the world.

The tournament uses a team Swiss system and consists of 11 rounds. Each national team competes across several boards during its matches.

Pakistan Continues Chess Olympiad Campaign

Pakistan’s decision not to play Israel came at the beginning of its Chess Olympiad campaign.

The country’s participation in the remaining rounds continues under the tournament’s pairing and scoring system.

The Samarkand event brings together national chess teams for one of the sport’s largest international competitions.

In other news read more about: India Women Refuse Asia Cup Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi — Here’s Why

Pakistan’s opening-round decision has drawn attention beyond the chessboard because of the political context surrounding the scheduled match.