CM Vijay plays chess with Praggnanandhaa, impresses Norwegian chess champion

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay thanked Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa for the Norwegian Chess victory in Chennai on Monday. Vijay called the 20-year-old and presented him with a cash reward of Rs 50 crore on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government.

Pragg became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norwegian chess title in Oslo on Saturday 6 June. 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 fast game even as Praggnanandhaa dominated him as expected. Pragga was accompanied by his mother Nagalakshmi. Minister for Public Works (PWD) and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna was also present at the ceremony.

Talking to local media after meeting CM Vijay, Praggnanandhaa said that he was indeed surprised by the Chief Minister’s chess skills.

“I didn’t expect it. I hadn’t heard from anyone that he played chess. He asked me to bring a chessboard. We put the pieces on the board and started playing impromptu. He played well,” Pragg said.

“I asked him when he was playing chess. He said he was playing with his friends. I won, but I didn’t expect him to play so well.”

#WATCH | Chennai | Tamil Nadu CM Vijay meets Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa and awards him Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority after the chess player won the Norway Chess 2026 title.

(Source: TNDIPR) pic.twitter.com/Lf4dNgYrEX— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2026

This warm reception in Chennai follows an extraordinary historic campaign in Oslo that ended a few days ago. The 2026 Norwegian Chess Tournament, widely regarded as one of the most heavily contested elite super tournaments of the year, took place the young Indian prodigy has done an absolute miracle.

After a turbulent start to the two-round tournament that included back-to-back classic losses in rounds 5 and 6 that left him stuck at the bottom of the scoreboard, Praggnanandhaa staged an unforgettable comeback.

Facing a massive 5.5-point deficit behind tournament leader Wesley So, the 20-year-old grandmaster went on a sensational four-match winning streak from the seventh round to the final tenth round. He beat Alireza Firouzja, world champion D Gukesh in the elite endurance championship class and incredibly beat world number one Magnus Carlsen twice in a classic game during the event.

In Friday’s final round, half a point behind Wesley, Pragg faced Vincent Keymer in a must-win situation with the white pieces. He put in a flawless performance and punished a critical error from Keymer to secure the full three points he needed. This historic victory allowed him to overtake So and take the absolute lead with 18 points.

This monumental triumph marks a massive redemption arc for Praggnanandha in 2026. He had a very tough and difficult campaign at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto earlier in the year, finishing tied for sixth with 6/14. By coming back to win in Norway, he soared back up the world rankings, gaining 15.2 rating points to cement his position among the world’s absolute elite.

It has been an extremely productive year for the Rameshbabu family as Pragga’s elder sisters, R Vaishali, also triumphed in the women candidates tournament in Cyprus earlier this year and earned the historic right to challenge China’s Ju Wenjun for the title of World Women’s Chess Champion.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

June 8, 2026 12:49 PM IST