Israel chief accuses FIDE of failing to honour agreement after Olympiad forfeits

Israel Chess Federation chief Zvika Barkai accused FIDE of failing to honour a prior agreement over scheduling Israel’s Chess Olympiad matches around Yom Kippur after both Israeli teams forfeited their Round 6 games.

The forfeits followed refusals by the Netherlands and Bulgaria to accept schedule changes, and Barkai praised Singapore and Colombia for accommodating Israel.

He criticised FIDE’s handling of the situation and warned the forfeits could significantly affect Israel’s rankings.