Chess Olympiad 2026: Israel forfeit Round 6 matches as Netherlands, Bulgaria decline Yom Kippur request

The 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand has seen Israel in the spotlight after the country's men and women teams failed to show up for their sixth-round matches. The decision came as the teams requested an early start or rescheduling of their games due to Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. Singapore's men's team and Colombia's women's team obliged and completed their games earlier, while the Netherlands and Bulgaria refused Israel's request.

As a result, Israel forfeited their matches, receiving full points from FIDE after neither the Netherlands nor Bulgaria agreed to change their game times. The forfeits have dealt a significant blow to Israel's campaign, with the Dutch and Bulgarian teams walking away with full points for their respective sections.