TN CM Vijay Rewards R Praggnanandhaa With Rs 50 Lakh For Winning Norway Chess, Loses Friendly Game

Published 8 June 2026 · local

TN CM Vijay Rewards R Praggnanandhaa With Rs 50 Lakh For Winning Norway Chess, Loses Friendly Game Published By, Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 14:25

TN CM Vijay Rewards R Praggnanandhaa With Rs 50 Lakh For Winning Norway Chess, Loses Friendly Game Published By, Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 14:25 IST Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay presented Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa with Rs 50 lakh for winning Norway Chess. C Josephh Vijay (left) plots his next move against R Praggnanandhaa. (Picture Credit: X/CMOTamilnadu) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday presented Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa with a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh for creating history by becoming first ever Indian to win Norway Chess title. He then shared an impromptu game of chess with the 20-year-old at the Secretariat in Chennai. The felicitation came days after Praggnanandhaa won the prestigious Norway Chess title.

He secured the crown with a final-round victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer in Oslo, marking a landmark achievement in Indian chess. Following the ceremony, Vijay invited the young Grandmaster to a game of chess in his chamber. The chief minister appeared fully engrossed in the contest, even rising from beside his large office table to make a calculated move to protect his king. Praggnanandhaa, his parents, Tamil Nadu Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna, and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) Member Secretary J. Meghanatha Reddy watched the game unfold. Reflecting on the unexpected encounter, Praggnanandhaa said, “I didn’t expect it. I haven’t heard from anyone that he (Vijay) plays chess." “He asked me to bring the board.

We assembled the pieces and began playing impromptu. He played well. I asked him when he plays chess. He said he plays with his friends. I won, but I didn’t expect he would play that well." Later, Vijay presented Praggnanandhaa with a cheque for Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the SDAT in recognition of his historic accomplishment. Earlier, the Grandmaster described his Norway Chess triumph as the biggest achievement of his career, noting that overcoming some of the world’s strongest players, including Magnus Carlsen, made the victory especially memorable. With PTI Inputs News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Feroz Khan Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent.

He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience... Read More First Published: June 08, 2026, 14:25 IST News sports chess TN CM Vijay Rewards R Praggnanandhaa With Rs 50 Lakh For Winning Norway Chess, Loses Friendly Game Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...