Israeli visa issue to be discussed at Fide meeting

Kochi, June 3: One of the key issues to be discussed at a high-level chess meeting in Teheran later this week will be the visa problems th...

Kochi, June 3: One of the key issues to be discussed at a high-level chess meeting in Teheran later this week will be the visa problems the Israeli players encounter in Iran in connection with the World Knock-out Championship to be staged later this year. Teheran is the venue for the championship final and as such Iran does not allow visas for Israeli players. To hope that Isreali players would not reach the final will be a decision that would leave many loopholes in the organisation of the championship.

The Fide vice-president left for Iran on Saturday and will meet the officials in Teheran on June 5-6. “Another issue is the transfer of the sponsorship amount ($2.2 million) from the Iranian federation to the Fide,” said Ummer Koya.

The total amount required for the event is $3.5 million. The Fide vice-president will also hold a meeting in New Delhi to identify potential sponsors for the Indian leg of the event. “A computer firm has already shown interest in the event but we are waiting for the other bids before actually settling for the final sponsor,” Koya said. “We are also keeping the options open as there is a scope for more than one sponsor as the women’s World Championship is also to be staged in New Delhi along with the men’s knock-out event.”

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This will be the first time the women’s World Championship will be played in the knock-out format.

India will be holding the most representative stage of the championships, the knock-out, in both sections. Teheran will stage the finals.

Meanwhile, GM Viswanathan Anand too has kept his options open and has not made up his mind whether to play in this year’s World Championship. According to sources in Fide, Anand was yet to confirm his participation in the event. At the same time, All-India Chess Federation officials said there was still a lot of time left for the finalisation of the players and the Indian GM would confirm his berth in June.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

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