'Israeli' players barred from flying national flag at Spanish chess event

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) clarified on Friday that it had no involvement in, nor prior knowledge of, a reported decision by a Spanish chess tournament to prohibit 'Israeli' players from competing under their national flag.

“FIDE had no prior knowledge of this decision, did not make any ruling on this, nor was it consulted by the organisers,” the federation said in a statement. “FIDE strongly condemns any form of discrimination, including on the basis of nationality and flag. The same rules apply to Israel and its players as to all other member federations that are not under any form of sanctions."

The alleged incident involves the Bilbao Sestao Basque Country tournament, set to begin next week. Organisers have not responded to requests for comment, but FIDE has confirmed it is seeking detailed information and will take all necessary actions to ensure its principles are upheld.

Reports, citing 'Israeli' media outlets, suggest that organisers informed seven 'Israeli' players that the country’s flag would be banned “for reasons beyond our control.”

While chess players from Russia and Belarus have been required to compete under the FIDE flag since 2022 due to sanctions linked to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, 'Israeli' players face no such restrictions.