PM Narendra Modi Hails R. Praggnanandhaa's Historic Norway Chess Triumph: 'Indeed An Incredible Milestone'

PM Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated R Praggnanandhaa on his historic Norway Chess triumph, describing it as a remarkable achievement and an important milestone in the young Grandmaster's career.

He praised Praggnanandhaa's continued excellence on the global stage and extended his best wishes for even greater success in the future.

Praggnanandhaa added another landmark achievement to Indian chess by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title after a strong late surge in Oslo.

"Congratulations to Praggnanandhaa for this remarkable feat! This is indeed an incredible milestone that highlights his continued excellence. My best wishes to him for his future endeavours," Modi wrote in a post on X.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay also extended his wishes to Praggnanandhaa on his historic triumph, calling it a proud moment for Tamil Nadu and India. He praised Praggnanandhaa's brilliant performance in the tournament, highlighting his feat of defeating world champion Magnus Carlsen twice and securing four consecutive wins.

"My heartfelt congratulations to Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, who created history by becoming the first Indian to win the Norway Chess 2026 title in Oslo, the capital of Norway, through his brilliant and intelligent performance. He achieved the remarkable feat of defeating reigning champion Magnus Carlsen twice in the same tournament and securing four consecutive victories. I extend my best wishes to Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa, who has brought great pride to both Tamil Nadu and India, and I wish him continued success in achieving many more milestones in the future," Vijay wrote in an X post.

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The 20-year-old Grandmaster clinched the crown with a final-round victory over Germany's Vincent Keymer, capping off one of the most impressive comeback runs in the tournament's history.

The elite tournament featured a world-class field, including World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, reigning world champion D Gukesh, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Vincent Keymer, making it one of the strongest events on the international chess calendar.

The victory over Keymer came on the back of Praggnanandhaa's wins against Alireza Firouzja, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and reigning world champion D Gukesh over the previous four days. The tournament also saw Praggnanandhaa complete a rare double over Carlsen.

Entering the round half a point behind Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa knew that a win would put him in a strong position to seize the title. Playing with the white pieces against Vincent Keymer, the Indian Grandmaster made full use of his opportunity, converting a crucial victory.

The result earned Praggnanandhaa a maximum of three points and took his tally to 18, enough to secure first place in the standings.