Actor-turned-politician and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay met Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa in Chennai on Monday. He was honored for his historic victory in the Norwegian Chess Championship. The young chess prodigy became the first Indian to win the prestigious title.During their meeting, Vijya also presented him with a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government.
Vijay plays chess with Praggnanandha
Photos and videos of the meeting are appearing online. Interestingly, Vijay also played a game of chess with Praggnanandha. While Praggnanandhaa won the match, the young Grandmaster revealed that he was impressed with the Chief Minister’s understanding of the sport.
Pragg praises Vijay’s chess skills
According to an India Today report, Praggnanandhaa shared her thoughts on the unexpected game with Vijay. “I didn’t expect it. I’ve never heard of anyone playing chess. He asked me to bring the board. We assembled the pieces on the board and started playing one-on-one. He played well,” Pragg said.He also added, “I asked him when he played chess. He said he played with his friends. I won, but I didn’t expect him to play that well.”Praggnanandhaa’s mother Nagalakshmi was also present in the meeting. Public Works Department and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna also participated in the event.
Fans waiting for ‘Jana Nayagan’
Apart from politics, Vijay’s latest film remains his political action drama, ‘Jana Nayagan’, which is yet to make its way to the big screens.The film was originally slated to hit theaters on January 9, 2026. However, the release was delayed due to prolonged certification disputes with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and there is no official release date yet.
