Riyadh has refused to issue visas for Israeli players who were expected to take part in a Saudi-hosted chess tournament, the World Chess Federation said. Israel says it is considering a response.
The speed chess tournament, named after King Salman, will see “the world’s highest IQs and greatest chess players compete,” an ad from the Saudi Center for International Communication (CIC) says. It does not mention that Israeli players have been left out of the elite club.