Grandmaster Nodirbek Yakubboev’s refusal to shake fingers with Indian GM R Vaishali stirred up an issue on the Tata Metal Chess Match earlier than the Uzbek apologised, saying that he meant no disrespect and did not reply to the gesture due to “non secular causes”. In a video shared by ChessBase India on social media, Vaishali may be seen extending her hand earlier than the beginning of a fourth-round contest towards Yakubboev, who sat down with out responding to it, leaving the Indian visibly awkward.
Yakubboev, 23, who turned a GM in 2019, misplaced the match and is at the moment on three factors after eight rounds within the Challengers’ part.
As soon as the brief video went viral, Yakubboev posted a prolonged response on ‘X’ saying, he had all of the respect for Vaishali and her youthful brother R. Praggnanandhaa however he “doesn’t contact different girls resulting from non secular causes.”
“I need to clarify the scenario that occurred within the sport with Vaishali. With all due respect to girls and Indian chess gamers, I need to inform everybody that I don’t contact different girls for non secular causes,” wrote Yakubboev, who’s a practising Muslim.
3) 2. What I did earlier than (referring to the sport with Divya in 2023 and circumstances like that) I take into account it flawed for me.
3. I do what I have to do. I don’t insist others to not shake fingers with the alternative gender or for girls to put on hijab or burqa. It’s their enterprise what to do.
— Nodirbek Yakubboev (@NodirbekYakubb1) January 26, 2025
Vaishali didn’t supply her hand after beating the Uzbek participant. The Indian is on 4 factors after eight rounds with 5 extra to go.
“I respect Vaishali and her brother because the strongest chess gamers in India. If I’ve offended her with my conduct, I apologise. I’ve some further explanations: 1. Chess just isn’t haram,” Yakubboev wrote.
“I do what I have to do. I don’t insist others to not shake fingers with the alternative gender or for girls to put on hijab or burqa. It’s their enterprise what to do,” he defined.
A famend Uzbek chess Grandmaster, Nodirbek, refused to shake fingers with India’s Ladies’s Grandmaster Vaishali.
Does faith affect sports activities? Nonetheless, he was seen shaking fingers with different feminine gamers earlier. pic.twitter.com/fGR61wvwUP
— Ayushh (@ayushh_it_is) January 27, 2025
Yakubboev stated that as a way to keep away from such a scenario within the eighth-round sport towards Romania’s Irina Bulmaga, he knowledgeable her upfront about his non secular beliefs.
“Right this moment (Sunday) I instructed Irina Bulmaga about it. She agreed to it. However once I got here to the enjoying corridor, the arbiters instructed me that I ought to a minimum of do Namaste as a gesture. Within the video games with Divya and Vaishali I could not inform them about it earlier than the sport and there was an ungainly scenario,” he added.
One other Uzbek participant Nodirbek Abdusattorov is enjoying within the ‘Open’ part of the event.
Subjects talked about on this article
