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No handshake! Uzbek chess GM stuns India’s Harika Dronavali with ‘Namaste’ – Watch | Chess News

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No handshake! Uzbek chess GM stuns India's Harika Dronavali with 'Namaste' - Watch
Nodirbek Yakubboev’s ‘Namaste’ gesture to India’s Harika Dronavali (Photo Credit: ChessBase India)

NEW DELHI: A light and heartwarming moment grabbed attention at the Grenke Freestyle Open when Grandmaster (GM) Harika Dronavali extended her hand to resign, but Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev responded with a polite “Namaste” instead. Both players smiled and walked away, making it a memorable and respectful exchange.Watch:The event itself is heating up in Karlsruhe, where Vincent Keymer and Hans Niemann are leading with perfect 5/5 scores. They’re set to face off next in a crucial match. Close behind is a strong group, including world number one Magnus Carlsen, keeping the competition intense.Interestingly, Daniel Hausrath, ranked far lower globally, is surprisingly holding his own among top players. With thousands of participants and a major prize pool, the tournament is one of the biggest in the world, and upcoming rounds are expected to shake up the leaderboard.This isn’t the first time Yakubboev avoided a handshake. Earlier, during a game against R Vaishali at the Wijk Aan Zee Challengers section last year, he did the same, which led to confusion. Later, he met her again with flowers and chocolates to apologise.“I’m sorry for what had happened? It was an awkward situation for both of us. I was hurrying that day. It looks like some misunderstanding. And I want to wish good luck for the remaining games for both of you. Just want to say. I respect you and your brother both. Both of you, and all the Indian chess players,” Yakubboev said.Vaishali responded kindly: “No, it’s clearly understandable. I didn’t take it that way, so we didn’t have to feel bad. You actually apologised. It’s totally fine. You don’t have to worry about it.”Yakubboev later explained it was due to “religious reasons”, adding, “I want to explain the situation… I do not touch other women for religious reasons.” He emphasized respect, saying, “I respect Vaishali and her brother as the strongest chess players in India. If I have offended her with my behavior, I apologise,” and clarified, “I do what I need to do… It is their business what to do.”

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FA Cup on Sportsnet: West Ham vs. Leeds

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Quarterfinal action of the FA Cup continues on Sunday when West Ham United takes on Leeds United. Catch the action on Sportsnet ONE or Sportsnet+ and follow every play with the live tracker.

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Dave Allen names ‘surprising’ heavyweight who ‘definitely’ hit him hardest: “Pure power”

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Fan-favourite heavyweight Dave Allen has sparred some of boxing’s best, but ‘The White Rhino’ admits that the man who hit him the hardest came as a ‘surprise’ to him.

This era of the heavyweight division has been governed for the most part by Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder, with Wilder hoping that he can return into heavyweight title contention with a victory over Derek Chisora on Saturday.

Of those names, Allen has sparred all apart from ‘The Bronze Bomber’, as well as a host of other top contenders in the division.

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However, on his YouTube channel, when it came to naming the man who hit him the hardest, Allen claimed that Chisora was the biggest puncher that he has faced, much to his surprise.

“I sparred Derek Chisora before the Lucas Browne fight, so probably seven years ago to the week actually. He weren’t in the best shape, I don’t think, and I was fit and I sparred really well.

“But, he hit really hard. I thought he was the powerful puncher that I have ever been in with, just for pure power. Luckily, I could see him coming, because they were wide shots and they were coming from pretty far back and I could brace for them and take a bit off of them.

“In terms of power, he was definitely the biggest puncher that I ever sparred with, really, really heavy-handed. It surprised me because I didn’t think he was a big puncher. I had been watching him and, technically, I thought he didn’t look like he would be a big puncher.”

Chisora will hope to find some of that devastating power when he faces Wilder at the O2 Arena tonight. The Brit says he will retire win, lose or draw, but his 50-fight campaign would be remembered much more favourably if he called time after stopping one of his generation’s biggest names.

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Allen returns to action on home soil in Doncaster against Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, May 16.

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Taylor Fritz & girlfriend Morgan Riddle have broken up, tennis insider makes wild relationship claim

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Taylor Fritz and Morgan Riddle have been a tennis power couple for over half a decade. The two had begun dating in June 2020, but if latest reports are to be believed, they have parted ways after a nearly six-year long relationship.

Tennis insider Craig Shapiro, who hosts an eponymous podcast, on Sunday took to social media to share the news. As per the post on X, he said “reliable sources” had confirmed the break-up to him.

“Reliable sources telling me Fritz and Moorgs are no mas,” The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast wrote on X.

Fans reacting to the post took note of Riddle’s absence from some of the more recent matches featuring Fritz. The social media influencer was otherwise a regular feature in the player’s box, cheering her boyfriend on at major events throughout the tennis season.

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Even though, Riddle and Fritz began dating back in 2020, they did not go public with their relationship until a couple of years later. They have since been spotted at multiple events together even outside of tennis, featured on magazine covers and are frequently seen on each others’ social media handles.


Morgan Riddle credited boyfriend Taylor Fritz for getting her into fashion

Morgan Riddle supports Taylor Fritz from the stands at the 2026 Australian Open. (Source: Getty)Morgan Riddle supports Taylor Fritz from the stands at the 2026 Australian Open. (Source: Getty)
Morgan Riddle supports Taylor Fritz from the stands at the 2026 Australian Open. (Source: Getty)

Morgan Riddle had in an interview with Vogue magazine opened up about her relationship with Taylor Fritz. The social media influencer revealed that she was in fact a very person th first couple of years that she was with the Ameican tennis star.

Before taking on the role of a social media influencer, she worked for non-profit organizations. She even credited Fritz with pushing her into fashion, which has become a big part of her brand today.

“I was very private for the first two years of our relationship,” Morgan Riddle told Vogue in 2025. Work played a large role in her decision. “I was working in nonprofits for children in hospitals.”

“When I met him, I literally did not know one designer. He was like, ‘We’ve got to get you drip,’” she continued.

Riddle also spoke about some of the challenges that come with having a social media presence, especially for those clubbed under the tennis “groupie” label. She said she likes to keep a distance from negativity, has matured over the years and can handle it a lot better now.

“I have friends who have been on YouTube since they were 15 years old. It was kind of nice to have an introduction to it once I was mature and felt like I had a better head on my shoulders,” Morgan Riddle said.

“There’s still a lot of negativity around it, and I know that because I see misogynist comments—always from idiot men,” Morgan Riddle said. “I do think there’s more visibility on what girls are doing outside of just attending their partners’ matches.”

Fritz last played at the Sunshine Double on home soil. He has chosen to delay his start to the clay season, skipping the Monte-Carlo Masters. He will next feature at the clay event in Munich a fortnight later.

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