Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday (June 8) honoured Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa and even played a game of chess with the 20-year-old sensation at the Secretariat in Chennai, days after his historic triumph at the prestigious Norway Chess tournament.

Vijay presented Praggnanandhaa with a cheque for Rs 50 lakh in recognition of his achievement and congratulated him on becoming the first Indian to win the coveted Norway Chess title.

Also read: Praggnanandhaa creates history, becomes first Indian to win Norway Chess title

The Chennai-born Grandmaster scripted history last week in Oslo by clinching the tournament with a final-round victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer. His triumph marked a major milestone for Indian chess, as no Indian player had previously won the elite competition.

CM’s move

As Vijay, completely absorbed in the game, stood up beside his huge office table to make a strategic move to defend his king, Praggnanandhaa, the latter’s parents, state Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna, and member secretary of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) J Meghanatha Reddy, stood around watching.

Also read: Praggnanandhaa topples Carlsen again: Second classical defeat stuns world No. 1

Later, Vijay presented a cheque for Rs 50 lakh as cash incentive on behalf of SDAT to the young grandmaster for etching his name in history.

Winning moment

Earlier, Praggnanandhaa described his Norway Chess triumph as the biggest achievement of his career, emphasising that defeating some of the world’s strongest players including Magnus Carlsen made the title particularly memorable.

Also read: FIDE Candidates: All you need to know; Praggnanandhaa faces tough challenge

He became the first Indian to win Norway Chess since the tournament’s inception in 2013.