Latest news with #BritishChessChampionship
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Meet Bodhana Sivanandan, child prodigy checkmates 60-year old legend — at 10, she's chess' youngest female star
10-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest female to defeat a grandmaster in a classical chess game. The young prodigy accomplished the milestone at the 2025 British Chess Championship in Liverpool, against Grandmaster Peter Wells. At just 10 years and 5 months old, Sivanandan surpassed the previous record held by American chess sensation Carissa Yip, who was 10 years and 11 months when she received a similar victory. Her performance has drawn widespread attention and sparked excitement among chess enthusiasts. Bodhana Sivanandan, a primary school student from Harrow, London, started playing chess at the age of five. Her enthusiasm for the game quickly turned into success, earning multiple wins at junior competitions and representation of England in international events. By eight, Sivanandan had already secured her first Woman Grandmaster norm and competed at the 2024 Chess Olympiad. Breaking Records and Setting New Benchmarks This milestone has significant implications for youth chess. By becoming the youngest female player to defeat a grandmaster in a classical game sets a new standard and inspires a generation of young chess enthusiasts. Sivanandan's success highlights that age is no barrier to excellence in chess, and talent combined with hard work can lead to remarkable success. Beyond this historic victory, Sivanandan achieved her third and final Women's International Master norm during the championship. This accomplishment is crucial in her journey toward earning the full Woman Grandmaster title , positioning her for further success on the international stage. The chess community has praised with admiration and enthusiasm to Sivanandan's achievement. Coaches, players, and commentators alike have praised her focus, skill, and determination. Live Events FAQs: Q1. Who is Bodhana Sivanandan? A1. Bodhana Sivanandan is a 10-year-old chess prodigy from London. She has gained recognition for her exceptional skill and achievements in chess tournaments. Q2. What are the accomplishments of Bodhana Sivanandan? A2. She earned her first Woman Grandmaster norm by the age of eight. She also represented England at the 2024 Chess Olympiad.
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Meet the 10-year-old chess player making history
Meet 10-year-old chess player just made history thanks to her super impressive chess has become the youngest person to earn the woman international master title - the second highest level a player can ever her amazing feat doesn't stop also became the youngest female player to beat a chess grandmaster (the highest title a chess player can get) at the recent 2025 British Chess Championship. Bodhana's win is not only a massive achievement for someone her age, but an incredible win for anyone of any age started playing chess in 2020, at the age of five, and when she first began - she initially thought that the chess pieces were toys! Bodhana explained: "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," she quickly progressed and her natural talent for the sport shone year, aged nine years old, she was selected to represent thought that Bodhana is the youngest person ever to represent England internationally in any why does she like the chess?According to Bodhana, chess makes her feel "good" and helps her with "lots of other things like maths, how to calculate".She says she now hopes to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming a grandmaster - the highest title a chess player can achieve.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
London chess prodigy, 10, becomes Woman International Master
A 10-year-old chess prodigy from north-west London has become the youngest person to earn the woman international master Sivanandan, from Harrow, also became the youngest female player to beat a chess grandmaster at the 2025 British Chess Championship earlier this 2024 Bodhana was thought to have become the youngest person ever to represent England internationally in any sport when she was selected for England Women's Team at the Chess Olympiad in father Siva previously told the BBC he had no idea where his daughter got her talent from as neither he or his wife, both engineering graduates, are any good at chess. The International Chess Federation said on its social media account on X that Bodhana "pulled off the win against 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells in the last round of the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool".The federation added: "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)."Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain and the rank is held for new title - woman international master - is the second highest-ranking title given exclusively to women, second only to woman grandmaster. Bodhana first took up chess during the Covid-19 told the BBC last year: "When one of my dad's friends was going back to India, he gave us a few bags [of possessions]. "There was a chess board, and I was interested in the pieces so I started playing."She says chess makes her feel "good" and helps her with "lots of other things like maths, how to calculate".
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First Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Who is Bodhana Sivanandan? All you need to know about youngest female player to defeat a Grandmaster
British chess player Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest female player to defeat a Grandmaster when he beat Peter Wells in the final round of the British Chess Championship in Liverpool on Sunday. Here's more on the 10-year-old chess prodigy. read more British Woman FIDE Master Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest female player to defeat at Grandmaster at the age of 10 years, 5 months and 1 day, breaking the record previously held by USA's Carissa Yip. Image credit: FIDE Indians sure are making headlines when it comes to chess whichever part of the world they live in, whether they're representing India or not. The young trio of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi have been hogging the limelight for the better part of the last couple of years, while Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh have been keeping the Indian flag flying high in the women's game. Bodhana Sivanandan, a Briton of Indian origin, forced the chess player to sit up and take notice of her after becoming the youngest female player ever to defeat a Grandmaster on Sunday. Bodhana achieved the feat at the tender age of 10 years, five months and one day when she defeated 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells in the final round of the British Chess Championship in Liverpool. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest girl to defeat a GM at just 10 years old (5 months and 3 days) in the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships! 👏 The previous record was held by IM Carissa Yip. — Susan Polgar (@SusanPolgar) August 10, 2025 USA's Carissa Yip was the previous holder of the record, having achieved the feat at the age of 10 years, 11 months and 20 days in 2019. That wasn't the only record that Bodhana broke as she also became the youngest Woman International Master with her victory over Wells while also securing her first Woman Grand Master norm during the course of the event. Who is Bodhana Sivanandan? Woman FIDE Master Bodhana's family hails from Tiruchirappalli in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Her father, Sivanandan Velayutham, had moved to London along with his family in 2007, eight years before Bodhana was born. Bodhana, who began to play chess at the age of five, had discovered her love for the game by accident, having stumbled across a board at home. 'Bodhana started playing chess when she was just five years old. We had no plans to make her play chess. She just stumbled across a chess board at home, and started to play,' Bodhana's father Sivanandan told The Indian Express. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I knew just basic chess, so I downloaded to help her learn by watching the videos there. Back then, I just got her a free version, thinking she might not continue the sport,' he added. Little did young Bodhana, or her family members, know that she would become the face of British chess not long after her first introduction to the game. She had, after all, met then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street at the tender age of 8. And after her victory over Wells, Bodhana has the entire chess world buzzing at the discovery of another young prodigy who has the makings of a star.
