2026 Chess Olympiad: Israel forfeits Round 6 after Netherlands and Bulgaria refuse rescheduling

The Netherlands walked into the playing area, sat down at the board and waited. The chair across the table, reserved for Israel, remained empty. Footage from the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand showed a game that never happened: Israel failed to appear for round six, and the Netherlands were awarded a forfeit win without a single move. The situation stemmed from Israel's request linked to Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, which fell on September 20 and 21, 2026. Israel could not play while the sun was still up, so they sent a request to FIDE to adjust the playing schedule. In round five, the request was granted: Singapore in the Open section and Colombia in the Women's section agreed to start 75 minutes earlier than the official time. The matches were moved to the Savitsky Hotel so Israel could finish before sundown. Round six followed a different path. Israel again asked to adjust the schedule, specifically to play after 7:30 PM local time or to move the games to Tuesday, September 22, the rest day. The Netherlands, scheduled to face Israel in the Open section, and Bulgaria, scheduled to face Israel in the Women's section, both declined. FIDE later confirmed that it had contacted the Netherlands and Bulgaria, but neither side wanted to change the official match time. When the round started, Israel were not there. Under the rules for handling matches at the Chess Olympiad, both the Israeli men's and women's teams were declared forfeits. The Netherlands and Bulgaria received full match points without playing a single game. A FIDE spokesperson explained: “Due to the observance of Yom Kippur on September 20 and 21, the Israeli Open and Women's teams requested adjustments to their playing schedule. For Round 5, they needed to complete their games earlier than the standard schedule would normally allow. For Round 6, they requested either a later start in the evening, at 19:30 or later, or to move the games to September 22, the scheduled rest day of the Olympiad. FIDE contacted the opponents of both Israeli teams. Unlike in the previous round, neither opponent agreed to play at a different time from the official schedule. They are fully entitled to decline such a request.” Video footage showed the Dutch team walking into the venue and finding only an empty board on the Israeli side. There was no sign that Israel would arrive late. The organisers did not reveal whether Israel planned to appeal. The round became one of those rare moments when the result was decided before a player sat down. In the Chess Olympiad scoring system, teams compete in matches of four boards. Team points are counted separately, and a forfeit win carries the same value as a regular win. The Netherlands and Bulgaria therefore gained a clear advantage: an extra match win, fresh energy for later rounds, and a loss for Israel that could not be recovered on the board. For Israel, losing full points in both sections was a major setback. The Israeli men's team were seeded 22nd and were ranked 22nd after winning four of their first five rounds. The Israeli women's team were also seeded 22nd and were ranked 20th with a similar score. Two forfeit defeats pushed them into a difficult position as the tournament entered the middle stage, where the leading teams began to build momentum for the final rounds. The decisions by the Netherlands and Bulgaria can be viewed in different ways. For Israeli supporters, this looked like a lack of flexibility. For other teams, it was a legitimate right. A team taking part in an official tournament cannot be forced to change its routine, preparation or rest time because of an opponent's religious obligations. FIDE repeatedly stressed that agreeing or refusing was voluntary. That explains why round five was solved by mutual agreement, while round six ended in a forfeit. One could argue that FIDE should have a special rule for teams affected by religious holidays, rather than leaving the decision to the opponent. But the Chess Olympiad gathers many countries with different holiday calendars. Granting an exception to one team would force the organisers to handle many similar requests. Relying on the opponent's consent is both a flexible solution and a way to protect equality among teams. Having followed Chess Olympiads for years, I have learned that forfeits caused by religious reasons are rare, but when they happen, the line between empathy and sporting interest becomes very thin. In round five, Singapore and Colombia accepted a partial disruption of their schedule to accommodate Israel. In round six, the Netherlands and Bulgaria chose to prioritise stability on their own side. Both options are valid under the rules. The difference is that one side looked at the opponent's circumstances, while the other looked at their own team's interest. Losing two matches in two sections was not how Israel wanted to leave the top group. The tournament, however, is not over. The rest day on September 22 becomes a valuable window for the team to regroup and refocus. Israel's story in Samarkand this year is a reminder that playing time, opponents and decisions off the board can decide the fate of an Olympiad.