Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called Grand Master Praggnanandhaa after his record performance At FIDE World Cup 2023 on Thursday. The Chief Minister told Praggnanandhaa to not worry about the outcome since he had already made a mark. Stalin also congratulated and conveyed his appreciation to the young champion.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Stalin said, "Heartfelt congratulations to #Chennai's pride, @rpragchess, on your outstanding performance in the 2023 #FIDEWorldCup! Your journey to the final, defeating world #2 Nakamura and #3 Caruana, has left us all awestruck. Despite the final result, your achievement resonates with 140 crore dreams. The entire country is proud of you, #Praggnanandhaa!
"Your silver medal 🥈 and entry to the #FIDECandidates ♟️ Tournament are milestones that will inspire generations to come," he said.
In a clip of the video call shared on X, Stalin told Praggnanandhaa said, "How are you? I was eagerly waiting. You brought the match to a draw twice and you are well trained. You have come till level and it is a big achievement. Don't worry about anything. Definitely, you'll do well next time.”
Stalin also spoke to GM's mother who thanked CM for support. TN CM said that Sports Minister Udhayanidhi will meet Praggnanandhaa when the Grand Master visits Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, talking to the media, Indian chess grandmaster and 2023 FIDE World Cup runner-up R Praggnanandhaa said, "Today, it didn't go my way but it's normal in sports.”
“He (Magnus Carlsen) is the best player in the world and I still have to improve my Chess to be the best. That's what I am going towards, I think I need to work on it...I think we both are extremely tired, it has been a month-long event and we both were out of energy but we were trying to get ourselves together and play and he managed to play better than me today (Thursday)," he said.