- Tamil Nadu CM felicitated R Praggnanandhaa, presented ₹50 lakh reward.
- Praggnanandhaa defeated CM Vijay in a friendly chess match.
- He won Norway Chess, beating Magnus Carlsen and other legends.
- First Indian to win Norway Chess since 2013 inception.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay officially felicitated young Indian chess sensation R Praggnanandhaa at the state secretariat on Monday following his monumental international title triumph. The provincial leadership presented a massive cash reward of fifty lakh rupees to acknowledge the twenty-year-old Chennai prodigy’s historic continental success, briefly engaging the grandmaster in an impromptu friendly match before suffering a tactical defeat.
Young Master Outmanoeuvres CM
The unique board meeting took place inside the chief minister’s private chamber, where the regional administrative head eagerly tested his personal strategic skills against the elite grandmaster. The political leader stood completely absorbed beside his office table, calculating his movements to shield his king from an imminent tactical assault during the fluid game.
The brief encounter reached an amusing conclusion when the young chess prodigy executed a decisive mating net to seal a comprehensive victory over his high-profile opponent. Vijay greeted the sudden defeat with a smile, immediately initiating a warm round of applause to acknowledge the technical superiority displayed by his young opponent.
WATCH VIDEO
#WATCH | Chennai | Tamil Nadu CM Vijay meets Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa and awards him Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu after the chess player won the Norway Chess 2026 title.
(Source: TNDIPR) pic.twitter.com/Lf4dNgYrEX
— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2026
Fifty Lakh Cash Reward Presented
Later, Vijay presented a cheque for Rs 50 lakh as cash incentive on behalf of SDAT to the young grandmaster for etching his name in history. The grandmaster remained characteristically humble when cross-examined by regional media personnel regarding his brief tactical duel with the administrative head outside the building.
“He (CM) played well… I won,” Praggnanandhaa later told reporters when reviewing the playful boardroom match, according to transcripts provided by the Press Trust of India. The talented Chennai-based professional described his recent individual campaign in Oslo as the finest competitive milestone of his expanding international career.
Norway’s Win Deemed Peak
The rigorous international tournament structure required the young master to navigate past several legendary figures, including multiple-time global champion Magnus Carlsen, across several grueling classical rounds. Praggnanandhaa described his Norway Chess triumph as the biggest achievement of his career, emphasising that defeating some of the world’s strongest players including Magnus Carlsen made the title particularly memorable.
The stunning result ensured the twenty-year-old athlete became the first-ever Indian player to lift the coveted trophy since the elite tournament was initially established back in 2013. The elegant tactical specialist secured the prestigious title following an incredibly tense, highly calculated final-round victory over Germany’s leading grandmaster, Vincent Keymer.
