Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay felicitated Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa in Chennai on Monday, honouring the youngster for winning the Norway Chess title. Vijay called on the 20-year-old and handed him a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government.
Pragg became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title in Oslo on Saturday, June 6. During the felicitation, CM Vijay took time out to play chess with one of India's brightest talents in the sport. Vijay was seen enjoying the quick game even as Praggnanandhaa, as expected, dominated him. Accompanying Pragg was his mother, Nagalakshmi. Minister for Public Works Department (PWD) and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna was also present at the ceremony.
Speaking to local media after the meeting with CM Vijay, Praggnanandhaa said he was genuinely surprised by the chess skills of the Chief Minister.
“I didn't expect it. I haven't heard from anyone that he plays chess. He asked me to bring the board. We assembled the pieces on the board and began playing impromptu. He played well,” Pragg said.
“I asked him when he plays chess. He said he played with his friends. I won, but I didn't expect he would play that well.”
This warm reception in Chennai follows an extraordinary, historic campaign in Oslo that concluded just days ago. The Norway Chess 2026 tournament, widely regarded as one of the most fiercely contested elite super-tournaments of the year, saw the young Indian prodigy pull off an absolute miracle.
After a turbulent start to the double round-robin event, which included consecutive classical losses in rounds five and six that left him languishing at the bottom of the scoreboard, Praggnanandhaa staged an unforgettable comeback.
Faced with a massive 5.5 point deficit behind the tournament leader, Wesley So, the 20-year-old grandmaster went on a sensational four-game winning streak from round seven through to the final tenth round. In a masterclass of elite-level resilience, he defeated Alireza Firouzja, World Champion D Gukesh, and incredibly conquered World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice in classical play over the course of the event.
Heading into the final round on Friday half a point behind Wesley So, Pragg faced Vincent Keymer in a must-win situation with the white pieces. He delivered a flawless performance, punishing a critical error from Keymer to secure the necessary full three points. This historic victory allowed him to overtake So and claim the outright championship with 18 points.
This monumental triumph marks a massive redemption arc for Praggnanandhaa in 2026. Earlier in the year, he endured a highly demanding and difficult campaign at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto, where he ultimately finished in a share of sixth place with a score of 6/14. By bouncing back to win in Norway, he has skyrocketed back up the global rankings, gaining 15.2 rating points to assert his position amongst the world's absolute elite.
It has been a spectacularly productive year for the Rameshbabu family, as Pragg's elder sister, R Vaishali, also triumphed at the Women's Candidates Tournament in Cyprus earlier this year, earning the historic right to challenge China's Ju Wenjun for the Women's World Chess Championship title.
Source: India Today