FIDE Steps In After Attempted Ban On Israeli Players In Spanish Open Tournament

One of the longest-running tournaments in Spain sparked reactions this week after organizers tried to ban Israeli players and prevent them from competing under their national flag. Following backlash from players, media, and warnings from FIDE, the organizers reversed their decision.

The Basque Country Sestao Open, scheduled for September 12-19 in Sestao, Spain, is organized for the 40th time this year and features 11 grandmasters and 30 international masters in the 235-player field. Seven Israeli players are registered, with IMs Guy Levin and Yotam Shohat being the highest ranked.

Basque Open Top Seeds 

The story started circulating around a week before of the tournament, when an email by tournament director Miguel Angel del Olmo Alonso showed that registered Israeli participants were told that they could not compete under the Israeli flag.

“This measure has been agreed upon by both the main arbiter and the Spanish Chess Federation,” the tournament director claimed. It added that Israeli players would be listed under the FIDE flag, rather than the national one, in official pairings on Chess-Results.

The email warned that players unwilling to comply would be expelled. “If you do not accept this rule, you will not be able to participate.”

In depth:
Ahead of the XL open Sestao Basque chess tournament this email was sent to Israeli participants. An unprecedented decision by the Spanish federation that was met with shock and outrage by the Israeli delegation. pic.twitter.com/FpJXsmuH7D

— Elad Simchayoff (@Elad_Si) September 5, 2025

The decision drew immediate reactions in Israeli media and among Israeli players. The move was also highlighted by Paul Meyer-Dunker, President of the Berlin Chess Federation, and reported by Israeli media outlets such as Times of Israel. 

The story was also picked up by Drop Site, an independent news platform covering the conflicts in the Middle East. The site with 182,000 X followers shared Meyer-Dunker’s tweet where he noted that Israelis were listed under the FIDE flag rather than their national flag.

⚪️ JUST IN | Israeli players at an international chess tournament in Spain’s Basque Country were reportedly barred from competing under the Israeli flag 🇮🇱. Organizers told them they must play under the neutral FIDE banner—which represents the chess federation, not any country—or… https://t.co/b6MsBpz9mr pic.twitter.com/5LOhKi0GSO

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) September 5, 2025

Reactions from the chess world soon followed. GM Pavel Eljanov called it an “absolutely disgraceful decision,” with the Ukrainian grandmaster adding that he has previously played for the club, but said he cut ties when they displayed the Russian flag during competitions.

Another strong response came from FIDE CEO and Israeli GM Emil Sutovsky, who threatened sanctions against the organizers in a Facebook post.

FIDE categorically rejects such a position. It clearly violates FIDE’s principles. A letter has been sent to the organizers. In case of violation, a number of sanctions may be applied—from refusing to rate the tournament and recognize norms, to sanctions against the organizers themselves.

Within hours, FIDE also released an official statement, “strongly condemning” the organizers’ decision:

FIDE had no prior knowledge of this decision, did not make any ruling on this, nor was it consulted by the organisers.

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 governing chess body said they were ready to “take all necessary actions to ensure our rules and principles are respected at all events.” Shortly afterwards, the Israeli flag was restored on Chess-Results.

The Basque organizers did not respond to Chess.com’s requests for a comment, but Del Olmo acknowledged in an interview with Federico Marin’s Damas y Reyes this weekend that they went further than previously reported.

Del Olmo, who is also the President of Sestao Chess Club, said they contacted the seven Israeli players two months ago to inform them they would not be allowed to participate at all. After they appealed to FIDE, the ban was dropped, but the organizers instead decided to enforce the use of the neutral FIDE flag instead.

The decision was made following discussions with “local political parties and pro-Palestinian associations,” and Del Olmo admitted that his club wanted to make a political statement.

“FIDE, which is governed by Israelis, sent us a warning that if we removed the flags, the tournament would not be rated and no norms or Elo points would count,” he told Damas y Reyes. Facing the threat of sanctions, and with more than 100 foreign players already registered, the organizers backed down.

The controversy comes at a time when Russia and Belarus are under sanctions by FIDE following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Players from these countries are allowed to participate in international tournaments, but only under the neutral FIDE flag. Russian and Belarusian teams remain banned from competing in FIDE events, while a recent decision eased some restrictions and also allowed Russian participation in the 2025 Women’s World Team Championship taking place in Linares, Spain this November.

By contrast, Israeli players are not subject to any restrictions or sanctions, amid ongoing calls for boycotts over the war in Gaza, which escalated after the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 64,000 people have been killed, while aid agencies describe the situation as a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Some experts and UN officials have described Israel’s actions as violating international law, but sports federations have so far not imposed any sanctions on the country.

On Wednesday, Israel’s Premier Tech cycling team was met by Pro-Palestinian protests during the Vuelta de Espana race in Bilbao, whose municipality Sestao belongs to. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he would “understand and be in favor of” removing the Israeli team from the race, but stressed he does not have the power to do so, according to Times of Israel.

🚨🇪🇸🇮🇱 BREAKING: SPAIN covers their entire town in PALESTINIAN flags as an ISRAELI cycling team passed by pic.twitter.com/mIKS2CNHXy

— Legitimate Targets (@LegitTargets) September 5, 2025

While allowing the Israeli flag again, the organizers in Sestao decided to join the protests. “We fully support anyone who wants to demonstrate. They have the support of our club, of the entire management team. We’re 100% with them, calmly, making noise, but we must be peaceful. Our rejection is total,” Del Olmo said. 

Asked by Marin what the protests will be like, Del Olmo said: “Let there be demonstrations, as many as possible, but let’s be respectful of all the players, the referees… The club’s management is totally in favor of the protests and against what Israel is doing to these people.”

The club’s management is totally in favor of the protests and against what Israel is doing to these people.
—Miguel Del Olmo, Tournament Director

The club also released an official statement condemning what it called a “genocide” in Gaza and announced that while Israeli flags would remain on official listings as required by FIDE, they would not be displayed inside the playing hall. Instead, the venue will feature regional flags from Spain’s autonomous communities and a Palestinian flag “as a humble expression of solidarity.”

The open tournament in Sestao will begin on September 12, with 235 players from 33 nations. In an email to the Israeli players, Del Olmo pointed to the nearby protests at Vuelta de Espana and said, “Our club cannot guarantee safety measures that differ from those of the other players.” The organizers hope that if there are protests, they will be peaceful and that all players, including the seven Israeli players, will be treated with respect. 

“All of us are worried,” Del Olmo admitted. “But this is a mature town. We know how to behave, when to protest and when to demonstrate. If people from outside show up and start a scene, there’s little we can do. That’s the concern,” he told Damas y Reyes.

Javier Ochoa, President of the Spanish Chess Federation, denied in an email to Chess.com that the federation was involved in the decision and confirmed that he had been in contact with the organizers to reverse the decision.

“This is a private tournament and the decisions they take are not related with the Spanish Chess Federation,” he wrote.