Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 8 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday felicitated Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and presented him with a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, following the chess prodigy's historic victory at the Norway Chess 2026 tournament.

The felicitation ceremony was held at the Chief Secretariat in Chennai, where the Chief Minister also played a game of chess with the 20-year-old Grandmaster, who recently became the first Indian player to win the prestigious Norway Chess title.

Sharing details of the honour on X, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Office (CMO) wrote, 'Honourable Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru. Joseph Vijay, today at the Chief Secretariat, presented a cheque for 50 lakh rupees as a prestigious cash incentive to Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa, who became the first Indian to win the title in the Norway Chess 2026 series held in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, thereby creating a historic milestone, and played a game of chess with Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa.'

Praggnanandhaa scripted history on Friday by claiming the Norway Chess 2026 crown in Oslo after defeating Germany's Vincent Keymer in the tenth and final round. The victory completed a remarkable late surge by the Indian star, who registered four consecutive classical wins to secure one of the biggest titles of his career.

The Chennai-born Grandmaster finished ahead of a star-studded field that featured World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Vincent Keymer.

Praggnanandhaa's title-winning campaign gathered momentum in the closing stages of the tournament, with crucial victories over Firouzja, Carlsen, Gukesh and Keymer. His triumph over Carlsen was particularly significant as he completed a rare double victory over the Norwegian legend during the event.

American Grandmaster Wesley So finished second in the standings after defeating Firouzja in an armageddon game in the final round, while Carlsen ended a challenging tournament on a positive note by defeating Gukesh and finishing fourth. (ANI)