Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 20 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Monday extended greetings on the occasion of World Chess Day, celebrating the state’s rich legacy in the sport and reaffirming his government’s commitment to supporting the next generation of champions.
The Tamil Nadu CMO shared a post on X, in which CM Vijay highlighted Tamil Nadu’s contribution to Indian chess, noting that the state continues to produce some of the country’s finest young Grandmasters.
“On the occasion of World Chess Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all chess enthusiasts, players, and coaches. Tamil Nadu has been creating history by producing the highest number of young Grandmasters in India alone. Starting with Viswanathan Anand, India’s first Grandmaster in 1988, young Grandmasters including Gukesh, Pragnananda, and Vaishali have been winning international chess tournaments and bringing pride to Tamil Nadu. On this day, my best wishes to them,” CM Vijay wrote.
The Chief Minister also called on the younger generation to embrace the game and represent the state on the global stage.
“In the context of Tamil Nadu advancing as the chess capital on the global stage, the younger generation must master chess techniques, participate in international tournaments, and bring glory to Tamil Nadu and India. Our government will stand by and provide all possible support for such endeavours,” he added.
Chennai is widely regarded as the Chess Capital of India, having produced nearly one-third of the country’s emerging young chess talents. The city’s thriving chess ecosystem, built around schools, academies and clubs, has flourished since the rise of India’s first Grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand, and continues to nurture world-class players.
Tamil Nadu’s dominance in the sport has been underlined in recent years by the achievements of reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh, Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali Rameshbabu, all of whom hail from the state.
Last month, CM Vijay felicitated Praggnanandhaa at the Chief Secretariat in Chennai after the 20-year-old became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title. The Chief Minister presented the Grandmaster with a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu and also played a friendly game of chess with him during the ceremony.
Praggnanandhaa claimed the Norway Chess 2026 crown after defeating Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the final round in Oslo. The Chennai-born Grandmaster finished ahead of a star-studded field that included World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, world champion D. Gukesh, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Keymer.
His title-winning run featured four consecutive classical victories over Firouzja, Carlsen, Gukesh and Keymer, including a memorable double over Carlsen during the tournament.
World Chess Day is observed globally on July 20 to mark the founding of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924. The celebration was first introduced by FIDE in 1966 before being officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019.(ANI)
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