Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay presented chess Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa with a Rs 50 lakh [1] award at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in Chennai.

The gesture recognizes the Grandmaster's historic victory at the Norway Chess tournament. Such high-profile state recognition highlights the growing influence of chess in India and the government's effort to incentivize elite sporting achievements.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister and the Grandmaster engaged in an impromptu game of chess. The match ended in a victory for Praggnanandhaa, who defeated the Chief Minister by checkmate.

The award ceremony served as a formal felicitation for the athlete's international success. While the match was brief, it provided a public moment of interaction between the state's political leadership and one of the world's top chess players.

Praggnanandhaa has become a symbol of youth achievement in the region. The Rs 50 lakh [1] prize is part of a broader pattern of state-level support for athletes who achieve global milestones in intellectual sports.

“CM Vijay honored Praggnanandhaa with a Rs 50 lakh award”

This event underscores the strategic use of sports diplomacy by the Tamil Nadu government to align itself with national pride and intellectual achievement. By publicly honoring Praggnanandhaa, the administration leverages the Grandmaster's global prestige to signal a commitment to youth development and the promotion of chess as a premier sport in India.