Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 5, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
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FIDE investigates claims of an Israeli flag ban at a Spanish chess event, emphasizing its anti-discrimination stance amid Gaza conflict tensions.
By Julien Pretot
(Reuters) -The International Chess Federation (FIDE) said on Friday it was not involved in and had not been consulted over an alleged decision by a Spanish tournament to forbid 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 organisers of the Bilbao Sestao Basque Country tournament, which starts next week, were not immediately reachable for comment.
The governing body said it has requested detailed information from the organisers and will take all necessary actions to ensure its principles are upheld.
The Times of Israel, citing "Hebrew media outlets", reported that organisers had sent a letter to seven Israeli players informing them of the decision to ban the country's flag "for reasons beyond our control”.
Chess players from Russia and Belarus have been required to compete under the FIDE flag since 2022 following sanctions imposed after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. But Israeli players are not subject to such restrictions.
The dispute comes amid heightened tensions over the war in Gaza, where Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has left large parts of the territory in ruins and created what aid agencies describe as a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. International calls for a ceasefire and a revival of efforts towards a two-state solution have continued to grow.
Sport in Spain was thrust into the spotlight for political reasons earlier this week when stage 11 of the Vuelta a Espana cycle race in Bilbao was cut short after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted procedures at the finish line and demanded that the Israel-Premier Tech team be ejected from the race.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
FIDE stated that it had no prior knowledge of the decision and was not consulted by the tournament organizers. They strongly condemned any form of discrimination.
The controversy revolves around the Bilbao Sestao Basque Country tournament, which is set to start next week.
Unlike players from Russia and Belarus, who have been required to compete under the FIDE flag since 2022 due to sanctions, Israeli players are not facing similar restrictions.
The dispute is occurring amid heightened tensions over the war in Gaza, where Israel's military actions have led to significant destruction and humanitarian concerns.
According to reports, the organizers sent a letter to seven Israeli players informing them of the decision to ban the Israeli flag for unspecified reasons.
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