Israeli team handed technical losses in Samarkand — Jerusalem Post
At the International Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Israel's team opponents — the Netherlands and Bulgaria — were awarded 4:0 technical victories. The Israeli team did not appear for matches scheduled on Yom Kippur. As reported by the Jerusalem Post, the Israel Chess Federation said that the International Chess Federation had previously agreed in writing to change the game schedule.
Agreement on rescheduling
According to the Israel Chess Federation, in January the International Chess Federation agreed in writing to move Israel's Sunday matches to an earlier time so they would finish before Yom Kippur began in the evening. Matches scheduled for Monday were to be held after the holiday ended.
Ultimately, the teams due to play Israel on Yom Kippur were offered a change in match times. Colombia and Singapore agreed to start their matches earlier. The Netherlands and Bulgaria, however, kept the original schedule, after which they were awarded 4:0 victories because the Israeli team failed to appear.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Reaction of Israel's federation
Israel Chess Federation chairman Tzvika Barkai said the federation was outraged by the failure to honor previous commitments. According to him, the issue of rescheduling was not included in the tournament regulations, and the International Chess Federation planned to negotiate directly with the opposing teams.
Federation CEO Gil Boruchovsky said the technical losses could significantly harm the team's ranking and added that the federation would consider further steps. He also noted that Israeli teams had performed successfully at the Olympiad and would continue competing for a place in the top 15.
