Eight-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan crowned best female player at European blitz chess championships
Eight-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Crowned Best Female Player at European Championships
An eight-year-old girl from Harrow, north-west London, has made headlines after being crowned the best female player at the European blitz chess championships. Bodhana Sivanandan scored an impressive 8.5/13 at the event in Croatia, surpassing seasoned professionals in the process.
Bodhana, who began playing chess at the age of five during the pandemic, managed to defeat an international master and even drew with a grandmaster, a result that has been described as “unbelievable.” The young chess prodigy expressed her pride in her performance over the weekend.
The tournament was held at blitz time control, a quick form of chess where players have just minutes on their clocks for their moves. Chair of the board at English Chess Federation, Stephen Woodhouse, explained that blitz games are usually very quick, lasting only three to five minutes.
Bodhana’s opponents included grandmasters, international masters, and experts. Despite her young age, she remained calm and focused during the competition, stating that she does not get nervous and simply focuses on the board.
The chess world quickly praised Bodhana’s remarkable performance, with Romanian International Master Irina Bulmaga calling it an “unbelievable result” and describing Bodhana as a “phenomenon.” President of the English Chess Federation, Dominic Lawson, also commended Bodhana’s mature playing style and patient approach to the game.
British International Master and commentator Lawrence Trent went as far as to say that Bodhana is “one of the greatest talents” he has witnessed in recent memory. He predicted that she will become England’s greatest player and possibly one of the greatest the game has ever seen.
Bodhana’s father, Siva Sivanandan, expressed his pride in his daughter’s achievements, stating that she has been working hard and it has paid off. Bodhana will now prepare for her next competition at the International Chess Congress in Hastings on 28 December.
Despite her young age, Bodhana has already caught the attention of top chess professionals and enthusiasts alike, with many predicting a bright future ahead for this talented young player.