Fresh off his historic triumph at the Norway Chess 2026 tournament, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa was felicitated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday and presented with a cash reward of ₹50 lakh by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.
The ceremony took place at the Chief Secretariat in Chennai, where the 20-year-old chess sensation was honoured for becoming the first Indian player to win the prestigious Norway Chess title.
In a light-hearted moment during the event, Praggnanandhaa also played a game of chess with the Chief Minister and emerged victorious, prompting applause from those in attendance.
Sharing details of the occasion on X, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Office (CMO) highlighted Praggnanandhaa's landmark achievement and the state's recognition of his success on the international stage.
Praggnanandhaa etched his name into the history books on Friday after clinching the Norway Chess 2026 crown in Oslo with a final-round victory over Germany's Vincent Keymer. The Chennai-born Grandmaster capped off a remarkable campaign with four consecutive classical wins, sealing one of the most significant titles of his career.
His title-winning run came against a world-class field featuring World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, reigning world champion D Gukesh, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Vincent Keymer. Praggnanandhaa's victories over Firouzja, Carlsen, Gukesh and Keymer in the closing stages proved decisive in his march to the championship.
Among the standout moments of the tournament was his success against Carlsen, as the Indian star completed a rare double over the Norwegian legend on home soil.
American Grandmaster Wesley So finished second overall after defeating Firouzja in an Armageddon tie-break in the final round, while Carlsen ended the tournament in fourth place following a win over Gukesh.
