An 11-year-old from Harrow has ascended to the position of England’s highest-ranked female chess player, achieving the 72nd spot in the International Chess Federation’s global women’s rankings.
Bodhana Sivanandan has reached a rating of 2,366, surpassing 25-year-old Lan Yao, who previously held the top position among female chess players in England.
The north London schoolgirl accomplished this feat after securing victories in tournaments held in France, Austria, and the United Kingdom.
Despite her impressive rise, Bodhana remains committed to continuous improvement.
„It’s good, but I want to keep going,“ she stated.
„I was a bit happy, but I don’t want to stop there.“
Bodhana’s chess journey began at the age of five during the pandemic when she discovered a chessboard that her father, Siva, had planned to donate to charity.
Initially, her father, who works in IT, found it challenging to convince her that chess was indeed a game.
„I said it’s a game but she didn’t believe me, so I had to put on a YouTube video to explain. Then she asked about the rules I knew just the very, very basics,“ he recalled.
From those modest beginnings, her passion and skill flourished, leading to more regular practice sessions.
She began competing at the Harrow Chess Club while also sharpening her abilities against online opponents.
At the European Schools Championship in May 2022, the then seven-year-old won all 24 of her matches, earning three gold medals.
Bodhana’s rating surpassed the 2,000 mark in September 2023, granting her official expert status.
The subsequent year marked another significant milestone when she was chosen to represent England at the Chess Olympiad in Hungary, making her the youngest individual to represent the country in any sport. During matches, she sometimes needed a booster seat.
In August of last year, at the British Chess Championships in Liverpool, Bodhana triumphed over 60-year-old Peter Wells, becoming the youngest female player to defeat a grandmaster.
Her list of notable opponents also includes Mariya Muzychuk, a former women’s world champion from Ukraine.
Her school has granted her special permission to travel for tournaments, and this week she transitioned from the Reykjavik Open in Iceland to the Open International in Spain.
„I just like travelling in general, anywhere. I don’t really have preferences, but I just like travelling anywhere,“ Bodhana remarked.
With SAT exams approaching in a month, she is balancing her Year 6 studies alongside violin and piano lessons.
Malcolm Pein, an international master and chess coach, described her as a „generational talent with no equivalent in any other sport.“ Richard Walsh, chief executive of the English Chess Federation, expressed pride in Bodhana’s accomplishments, stating, „We can’t be prouder of Bodhana’s achievements.“
Her ultimate goal is to surpass the record set by American Abhimanyu Mishra, who became the youngest grandmaster at the age of 12.
Bildquelle: ai-generated-gemini
