Lionel Messi exchanges personal gifts with Georgian chess grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili

Georgia's legendary chess grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili has received an autographed football jersey by one of the most famous footballers, Lionel Messi. 

The signed football jersey of the Argentinian national team made its way to Tbilisi thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Argentine Football Association, Caliber.Az reports citing Georgian media outlets.

With the help of Georgia's ambassador to Argentina, Gvaaram Khandamishvili, Messi in return received an intricately crafted chess set from Gaprindashvili, who was thanked in a video for the gift. 

This is the second jersey from Messi in Gaprindashvili’s collection, who is a big fan of the sport and the Argentinian player, following a Barcelona jersey she received on her birthday in 2021.

Nona Gaprindashvili is the five-times women’s World Champion in chess, winning the title in 1962 and holding it for 16 years. She is 11 times Champion of the Chess Olympiad. Nona was the first woman to become a grandmaster among men, doing so in 1978. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) named an award after her in 1997 for her exceptional achievements in the development of chess. It is awarded at the biennial Chess Olympiad to the country with the highest total standings between the open and women's events. 

By Nazrin Sadigova