Indian GM Harika Dronavalli commented on the situation with Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev at the 2026 Grenke Chess Open. Harika explains that Yakubboev warned her in advance that he wouldn’t be able to shake her hand, and notes that Nodirbek was unfairly blamed.

Harika Dronavalli

Harika Dronavalli

Indian GM

“I was surprised that people blamed Yakubboev. Before the game, he came up and said: ‘I can’t shake your hand.’ I replied: ‘That’s completely fine, I understand’.

And then it happened in the moment — my hand automatically reached out, it’s a habit. When he did the ‘namaste’, I immediately understood and said: ‘Sorry, it was just out of habit’.

Unfortunately, the camera was on this board, and the video ended up spreading online in a completely different way. I would never want someone to be blamed for something they didn’t do. I think he’s a very good guy, and the situation was wrongly portrayed in a different light.

The same thing happened with Vaishali. I know her well and I’m sure she wasn’t offended either. But it’s sad to see such things get more attention than chess itself…”

Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev avoids shaking hands with female opponents due to his personal religious beliefs. He often uses the ‘namaste’ gesture instead. Nodirbek declined a handshake from Indian GM Vaishali Rameshbabu in January 2025. Yakubboev later apologized and presented Vaishali with flowers and chocolates.

Credit: ChessBase India