In shade of Vuelta cycling race fiasco, Spanish chess tourney demands Israelis shun their flag

Israeli chess players set to take part in an international tournament in Spain next week have been told they may not compete under Israel’s national flag and are allowed to participate only under the flag of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

Hebrew media outlets report that the organizers of the Open Sestao Basque Country competition next week have sent a letter to the seven Israelis set to participate, claiming the decision was made due to “reasons beyond our control.”

“This step was agreed upon by both the chief arbiter of the competition and the Spanish Chess Federation,” the letter reportedly says. “The FIDE flag will appear both on the official draw lists and on the players’ posters.”

Israeli players have called on the FIDE to intervene, reports say.

The letter comes as a major cycling competition in Spain, the Vuelta a España, is being overrun by anti-Israel protesters interfering in the event, threatening the operations of the entire race.

An Israeli team, Israel–Premier Tech, has faced calls to withdraw from the competition, including from the event’s organizers. But the team has declared it “remains committed to racing on.”