Chess prodigy, 8, is crowned European champion
Bodhana Sivanandan began playing the game aged five during the pandemic
An eight-year-old girl has been crowned best female player at the European chess championships.
Bodhana Sivanandan, from Harrow, north-west London, said she was “very proud” after defeating an international master in Croatia.
The chess prodigy, who began playing the game aged five during the pandemic, will compete at the International Chess Congress in East Sussex next week.
Professional Irina Bulmaga praised Bodhana as a “phenomenon”.
The schoolgirl scored 8.5/13 points to take the title at the European blitz championship over the weekend.
She totalled the winning score against grandmasters, international masters and experts.
“I always try my best to win, sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t,” Bodhana told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“I was very proud of myself when I got top girl in the European blitz.”
Asked if she gets nervous, she replied: “No, i just play the board.”
Romanian International Master Irina Bulmaga wrote on X it was an “unbelievable result” and added “what a phenomenon she is”.
Siva Sivanandan said her daughter was “trying her best and it has worked in favour of her”.
“She likes chess and she likes travelling. We keep trying and keep going,” he added.
Bodhana will head to Hastings for the Caplin Hastings International Chess Congress on 28 December.
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