Stalin, Udhayanidhi congratulate winners of Chennai Grand Masters 2024

Tamil Nadu CM and Deputy CM congratulate winners of Chennai Grand Masters 2024, highlighting state's support for chess.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin congratulated the winners of Chennai Grand Masters 2024, which concluded in Chennai on Monday.

In a social media post, Mr. Stalin congratulated chess grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram on his “remarkable title win at the Chennai GM with his strategic brilliance, especially in the penultimate round, proving decisive.”

He applauded for Pranav V, “whose standout performance in the Challengers section shows immense promise for the future.” “Kudos to Sports TN for a flawless event that further elevates Chennai’s stature on the global chess stage!” Mr. Stalin said.

During his address in the closing ceremony, Udhayanidhi Stalin congratulated Arvind Chidambaram for emerging as the winner of the Chennai Grand Masters Chess Tournament 2024 and Pranav for securing first place in the Challengers category.

“The first prize in the Grand Masters Category is Rs. 15 lakhs, while the first prize in the Challengers Category is Rs. 6 lakhs. This generous prize fund reflects the state’s commitment to promoting and supporting chess in Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin said and also listed out the steps by TN government to promote chess.

“Our initiatives have ensured that our chess players have access to world-class facilities, coaching, and funding,” he said. Thanking over 3,500 spectators for supporting this tournament, he said: “Your passion and enthusiasm for the game makes a huge difference and inspire our players to reach new heights.”

He said it was heartening to see the growing interest in chess, with tickets made affordable and students from various chess academies given free access to experience the live games.