PM Modi gifts Uzbekistan President Javokhir Sindarov's handwritten scoresheet from 2025 Chess World Cup

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted an unusual keepsake to Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, gifting him the original handwritten scoresheet of Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov from his 2025 FIDE World Cup final in Goa.

The scoresheet, preserved in a leatherette cover along with a photograph, commemorates Sindarov's historic triumph on Indian soil.

It was presented alongside a photograph of Sindarov holding the World Cup trophy with the Uzbek flag around his shoulders.

The gift carries genuine sporting weight. Sindarov became a Grandmaster at the age of 12 and was part of Uzbekistan's gold-medal-winning team at the 2022 Chess Olympiad.

In Goa, he defeated China's Wei Yi to become the youngest FIDE World Cup Champion, securing qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

He went on to win the Candidates, earning the right to play the 2026 World Chess Championship against reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju — setting up a India-Uzbekistan showdown that will unfold in Geneva later this year.

All India Chess Federation chief Nitin Narang framed the gesture in symbolic terms, noting that a simple record of moves had become part of a much bigger India-Uzbekistan story, calling it "chess diplomacy."

The timing adds another layer. Uzbekistan will host the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand from September 15 to 27, where India's teams will defend their gold medals from the previous edition.