Some 505 people from 80 countries and 5 continents participated in an event hosted by the Israeli Chess4Solidarity initiative on Saturday night.
The Israeli initiative was created in order to strengthen ties between countries and solidarity between peoples. This event was the initiative's 29th, and over 7,000 people have participated in events so far.
People from many countries that do not enjoy diplomatic relations with Israel participated in the solidarity event, including Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Indonesia, Niger and Djibouti.
The event was streamed live on Facebook to viewers all over the world.
"We are happy to connect people using a cultural, international language - chess," said Lior Aizenberg, founder of the initiative.
"The relationships that are struck go beyond the chessboard. We found a way to shake hands virtually and hold a giant virtual event on short notice. These events influence diplomatic relations, which stem from people becoming friends with each other and growing fond of the State of Israel."