Latest news with #BodhanaSivanandan
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This 10-Year-Old Girl Just Became the Youngest Ever Woman International Master in Chess
Bodhana Sivanandan attained the title after she beat a 60-year-old Grandmaster during a tournament in Liverpool, England, on Aug. 10 NEED TO KNOW A 10-year-old girl just became the youngest person ever to win the Woman International Master title in chess Bodhana Sivanandan, from London, took the title at a tournament in Liverpool, England, on Aug. 10 Bodhana 'pulled off the win' after she beat '60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells,' per the International Chess Federation A 10-year-old girl just became the youngest person ever to win the Woman International Master Title in chess. Bodhana Sivanandan, from London, took the title on Sunday, Aug. 10, at a tournament in Liverpool, England, the International Chess Federation announced on X. 'British sensation Bodhana Sivanandan has made history by becoming the youngest female chess player ever to beat a grandmaster!' the Federation wrote in their post. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. They added that Bodhana 'pulled off the win' after she beat '60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells in the last round of the 2025 British Chess Championships.' Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can achieve, and the rank is held for life. Bodhana's new title, Woman International Master, is the second-highest title for women, and it is second only to Woman Grandmaster, per the BBC. Bodhana's victory at 10 years, five months and three days bumped the previous 2019 record, which was held by American player Carissa Yip at 10 years, 11 months and 20 days. As to where Bodhana got her epic chess skills? Her father says it's a mystery. "I'm an engineering graduate, as is my wife, but I'm not good at chess,' he previously told the BBC. "I tried a couple of league games, but I was very poor." Bodhana began playing the game during the pandemic when one of her father's friends left a bag of his belongings at their house before moving to India — and one of the items he left was a chessboard, the outlet reported. "I was interested in the pieces so I started playing,' she told the BBC, adding that playing chess makes her feel 'good' and helps her with "lots of other things like maths, how to calculate." Bodhana typically practices chess for about an hour after school and also plays in tournaments on weekends to keep her skills sharp, the outlet reported. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! While attending Trafalgar Square's ChessFest in London in July 2024, Bodhana told the BBC that she doesn't typically get intimidated by her opponents, despite the fact that many of them are old enough to be her grandparents. 'I don't really notice who I'm playing. I just play the board,' she said at the time."My advice to those wanting to learn is that if you lose a game, you should try and learn from it,' she added. Read the original article on People
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
5 things to know for August 18: Ukraine, Israel-Hamas war, DC, Hurricane Erin, Pollution
Remember this name: Bodhana Sivanandan. The 10-year-old British girl recently made history in the Game of Kings. Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day. Prior to last week's historic summit in Alaska, President Donald Trump said he would be disappointed if a ceasefire wasn't reached between Russia and Ukraine, and even threatened 'severe' consequences on Moscow if Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't end the fighting. However, Trump returned from the summit with different priorities. He is now focused on securing a peace deal without a ceasefire and said 'we don't have to think' about sanctions against Russia. Trump will host a summit at the White House today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders to discuss his talks with Putin in more detail. But on his social media site, Trump appeared to preview the message he'll deliver to his visitors: If Zelensky wants the war in Ukraine to end, he must agree to some of Russia's conditions, including that Ukraine cede Crimea and agree never to join NATO. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis gathered around Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Sunday to demand an end to the war in Gaza and the return of the remaining 50 hostages. Many protesters also participated in a nationwide general strike, blocked major roads and staged rallies in cities across Israel. These events were led by family members of the hostages and the October Council, which represents bereaved families from the war. It was one of the largest coordinated demonstrations since the beginning of the Gaza war nearly two years ago. 'We are united in one simple demand directed at the Israeli government: Put an Israeli proposal on the table today for a comprehensive deal — to end the war in exchange for the return of the last hostage,' said Vicky Cohen, whose son Nimrod is a hostage. Israeli police said at least 38 protesters were arrested for allegedly disturbing the peace. President Trump's recent declaration of a crime emergency in Washington, DC, and his decision to federalize the city's police force have already prompted protests and at least one lawsuit. Now, three Republican-led states are sending hundreds of their own National Guard troops to the nation's capital to assist in Trump's efforts. West Virginia plans to send 300 to 400 National Guard troops, South Carolina has authorized the deployment of 200 troops and Ohio said it will send 150. These units will join the 800 DC National Guard troops that Trump has already deployed to patrol the district along with Border Patrol, ICE, FBI and DEA agents. Although Mayor Muriel Bowser's office declined to comment on the deployment of additional troops in DC, she posted on X: 'American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican.' Hurricane Erin became one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record when it transformed from a Category 1 storm with 75 mph winds on Friday to a Category 5 with near 160 mph winds just over 24 hours later. So far, the storm's outer bands have dumped heavy rainfall across Puerto Rico and left 100,000 people without power, Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón said Sunday. Additional rainfall of up to 6 inches is forecast over the Turks and Caicos and the eastern Bahamas through Tuesday. But as it churns through the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean, Erin could double or even triple in size, which may cause rough ocean conditions across much of the western Atlantic, the Hurricane Center said. While the storm is forecast to stay well offshore, its expansive wind field is already sending large swells outward for hundreds of miles and bringing dangerous rip currents to US shores. Satellites will face greater risks in the coming decades during solar-triggered geomagnetic storms because of the effect that climate pollution has on Earth's atmosphere, a new study found. As planet-warming carbon dioxide increases in the upper atmosphere, it will likely make the air less dense. Geomagnetic storms have the opposite effect; they increase how dense the air is in these upper layers, making it difficult for satellites to maintain their speed and altitude. During their study, researchers found that geomagnetic storms later this century could cause bigger spikes in atmospheric density because Earth's upper atmosphere will be less dense overall. Such a rapid throttling up of atmospheric density may damage critical satellite networks — including those used for GPS and communications — and cause problems for society at the Earth's surface. GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. Despite back-to-work orders from the Canadian government, more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants plan to continue their strike. The tennis champ decided to see a doctor after noticing symptoms such as double vision and weakness in her arms and legs. The wildly popular online gaming platform is accused of perpetuating an environment where sexual predators 'thrive, unite, hunt and victimize kids.' The thrash metal giants are planning to bid their final farewell in 2026. Here are 12 of America's most iconic sandwiches and where to eat them. British actor Terence Stamp dies at 87Stamp appeared in dozens of movies, but he was best known to American audiences for playing General Zod in two 'Superman' films. He later provided the voice of Jor-El, Superman's father, in the hit TV series 'Smallville.' $177 millionThat's how much AT&T has agreed to pay to settle claims related to data breaches in 2024. Millions of customers will be eligible to file claims — and could receive up to $7,500. 'The citizens of the world know what's happening here in the United States, formerly the so-called beacon of democracy. It don't look like that now!' — Spike Lee The Oscar-winning director commenting on President Trump's orders about what should and shouldn't be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. 🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect. And he did it all in just one year! Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
10-year-old Indian Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest chess player to defeat a Grandmaster
Photo: Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old Indian chess player from London, shockingly defeated 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells at the British Chess Championships in Liverpool. With this great achievement, she became the youngest female player to defeat a Grandmaster in the sport. According to the International Chess Federation (ICF), she broke the record previously held by Carissa Yip from the USA. The ICF expressed: 'British sensation Bodhana Sivanandan has made history by becoming the youngest female chess player ever to beat a grandmaster!' 'Sivanandan's victory at 10 years, five months and three days beats the 2019 record held by American Carissa Yip (10 years, 11 months and 20 days),' the organisation added. After this amazing feat, Sivanandan gained the title of woman international master, the second-highest rank given exclusively to women. This is a title following a woman's grandmaster. According to BBC, Bodhana started playing during the pandemic lockdown, back when she was five years old. She shared: 'When it was 2020, it was Covid, so one of my dad's friends was going back to India, and he had a few toys and books, and he gave them to us… And in one of the bags, I saw a chessboard, and I was interested in the pieces… I wanted to use the pieces as toys. Instead, my dad said that I could play the game, and then I started from there.' See also 'Golden Boot' for top marksman On social media, netizens expressed their amazement at the little girl's achievement at a very young age. One netizen commented: '10 years old and already beating grandmasters… unreal! Huge congrats to Bodhana, the future is bright!' A similar comment stated: 'Bodhana Sivanandan has achieved something incredible by becoming the youngest female player to beat a grandmaster. What a bright future ahead.' Another netizen declared that with this win, the 'future of chess is in good hands.' One more netizen remarked: It's not just talent, but also hard work and dedication… And she has displayed more of these at age 10 than most adults.' 🇬🇧♟👏 British sensation Bodhana Sivanandan has made history by becoming the youngest female chess player ever to beat a grandmaster! The 10-year-old, from Harrow, pulled off the win on Sunday against 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells in the last round of the 2025 British… — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 11, 2025 Bodhana Sivanandan is the youngest person to represent England in any sport. Previously, she was chosen to play for England at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, with teammates aged mostly in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. The manager of the England chess team, Malcolm Pein, declared that the young athlete is one of the most amazing young chess talents that he has ever seen in Britain by far. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
5 days ago
- Sport
10-year-old chess prodigy makes history with win over 60-year-old grandmaster
A 10-year-old girl who started playing chess five years ago has made history by defeating a grandmaster, according to the International Chess Federation. Bodhana Sivanandan won against Peter Wells, a 60-year-old grandmaster, in the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool on Aug. 10, according to a post shared on X by the federation, known as FIDE, the governing body of chess. The win makes Bodhana the youngest female chess player in history to score a win against a grandmaster, according to the FIDE, which awards the title of grandmaster to a select group of the world's top chess players. According to the FIDE, Bodhana was 10 years, 5 months and 3 days old when she defeated Wells on Sunday. That put her ahead of the previous record holder, American chess player Carissa Yip, who was 10 years, 11 months and 20 days old when she defeated a grandmaster in 2019. Bodhana, who is from the United Kingdom, started playing chess at age 5 when she was gifted a chess set, her parents told ABC News last year. She learned the game of chess by watching YouTube videos and then began to compete in tournaments, first locally and then internationally. "I really liked the pieces, especially the knight and the queen, and I wanted to use them as toys. But, my dad told me that I couldn't because then the next person who got it couldn't play," Bodhana told ABC News. "So instead, I just started playing." Bodhana added that as she has improved, she has no fear about going against players who may be more experienced than her. "I like to play harder opponents so if I lose, I can learn from them, and I can learn from what they are doing," she said. Malcolm Pein, director of international chess at the English Chess Federation and an international master of chess himself, told ABC News last year that he believes Bodhana has a chance to be the greatest women's chess player of all time. "We're sure that Bodhana will become a grandmaster one day -- we're absolutely sure of that, given her current meteoric rise," Pein said. Bodhana's mother Lakshmy Sivanandan told ABC News that outside of being a chess prodigy, her daughter is a "normal" kid with lots of interests -- including piano, violin and soccer -- and ambitions. "In year one, she wanted to become the prime minister of the United Kingdom. And along with that, she wants to become a doctor. And before those two, she wants to become a grandmaster ... and participate in the World Championship," Sivanandan said. "So yeah, anything is possible. So we just encourage her to go forward with her dreams."
Fox News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Chess prodigy, 10, makes history after defeating 60-year-old grandmaster
A 10-year-old girl from London made history this week when she became the youngest female chess player to defeat a grandmaster, who is 50 years her senior. Bodhana Sivanandan, a chess prodigy from Harrow, became the youngest female chess player to reach the historic milestone when she defeated Grandmaster Peter Wells, 60, in the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships on Sunday. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON According to the International Chess Federation, Bodhana set the record previously held by American Carissa Yip, who set the record in 2019 at 10 years, 11 months and 20 days old. Bodhana was 10 years, five months, and three days old when she defeated Wells. The young chess star now holds the title of woman international master, according to the BBC, which is the second highest-ranking title exclusively held by women. A grandmaster is the highest title that can be obtained by any chess player, and it is one that is held for life after earning it. Bodhana's parents told the BBC that she first picked up the game during the COVID-19 pandemic – when she was just 5 years old. In 2024, Aswath Kaushik became the youngest person to ever defeat a grandmaster when he bested 37-year-old Jacek Stopa, of Poland, at the Burgdorfer Stadthaus Open in Switzerland.
