Tata Steel Chess 2025: Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev refuses to shake hands with Vaishali due to religious reasons, apologises later

Tata Steel Chess 2025: Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev refuses to shake hands with Vaishali due to religious reasons, apologises later

Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Yakubboev on Sunday refused to shake hands with Indian GM R. Vaishali before their fourth-round match in the Challengers section of the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands.

Later, the 23-year-old Yakubboev apologised for his actions and explained the reason behind his gesture in a lengthy post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

“I want to explain the situation that happened in the game with Vaishali. With all due respect to women and Indian chess players, I want to inform everyone that I do not touch other women for religious reasons,” wrote Yakubboev who lost the match.

“I respect Vaishali and her brother as the strongest chess players in India. If I have offended her with my behavior, I apologise.”

“I do what I need to do. I do not insist others not to shake hands with the opposite gender or for women to wear hijab or burqa. It is their business what to do.”

Yakubboev said that in order to avoid the same situation in the eighth-round game against Romania’s Irina Bulmaga, he informed her in advance. “Today I told Irina Bulmaga about it. She agreed to it. But when I came to the playing hall, the arbiters told me that I should at least do Namaste as a gesture. In the games with Divya (Deshmukh) and Vaishali I couldn’t tell them about it before the game and there was an awkward situation,” he explained.

Vaishali did not offer her hand after beating the Uzbek player. The Indian is on four points after eight rounds with five more to go.

(With inputs from PTI)