Iranian Chess Player Refuses to Compete Against Israeli in International Tournament
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by David Daoud
Israeli chess pro Yuliya Shvayger. Photo: Wikipedia.
An Iranian chess grandmaster refused to compete against an Israeli player at a tournament in Switzerland this week, Iran’s semi-official state news agency Mehr reported on Tuesday.
According to Mehr, during the fifth round of the international 2016 Basel Schachfestival chess competition, Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami declined the match against Yuliya Shvayger in order to “reject the existence of the Zionist state [and] to announce to the world the voice of justice and support for the oppressed people of Palestine.”
Shvayger was born in Ukraine and has played for Israel since 2012.
