Following protest against Israeli grandmaster: Chess tournament in the Netherlands will ban players from clubs in Judea and Samaria
The Amsterdam Chess Open in the Netherlands has announced that starting January 2027, players representing clubs in Judea and Samaria will be banned from participating. The decision was made following a protest against an Israeli grandmaster and in light of an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. In Israel, warnings are being raised about a precedent of political boycott in sports.
The international chess tournament Amsterdam Chess Open in the Netherlands has announced that starting January 1, 2027, players representing clubs operating in Judea and Samaria will be banned from participating in the competition. The decision was made following a protest by players against Israeli grandmaster Evgeny Bagratyoni, due to his ties to chess clubs in settlements. The organizers rely on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in The Hague from July 2024, which determined that the Israeli presence in the territories is illegal. The new policy is still subject to legal review. Bagratyoni himself announced that he will not participate in the upcoming tournament, but claimed the decision was made due to family commitments. The head of the Sha'ar Shomron Council, Yochai Damari, appealed to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar to act to cancel the policy, warning of a precedent that would harm Israeli athletes in other fields. The manager of the Elitzur Shomron club, Dr. Hagai Frank, called on the Israel Chess Federation and FIDE to intervene. The controversy joins previous debates on the politicization of chess competitions, but at this stage it is a decision by the organizers of a specific tournament, not a blanket ban by FIDE.