Bodhana Sivanandan (born in 2015, Age: 8 years old) is not your average eight-year-old. She is a chess phenomenon who has made history by becoming England’s first world youth champion in 25 years and the first ever to win the triple crown of classical, rapid, and blitz titles in the same year. She is also the world’s third highest-rated player born in 2015 and an ambassador for ChessKid, a platform for learning and playing chess online.
How did she achieve such remarkable feats at such a young age? What are her secrets, goals, and challenges? This article will explore the life and achievements of Bodhana Sivanandan, the most talented eight-year-old in the world right now.
Early Life and Family Background
Bodhana was born in 2015 in Harrow, London. She is of Indian origin and lives with her parents and younger brother. Her father, Sivanandan, is a software engineer and her mother, Bodhana, is a homemaker. Her name, Bodhana, means “enlightenment” in Sanskrit.
Bodhana Sivanandan Wiki/Bio
| Name | Bodhana Sivanandan |
| Country | England |
| Born | 2015 |
| Age | 8 years old (as of 2023) |
| Title | Woman Candidate Master (2023) |
| Peak rating | 1857 (December 2023) |
| Residence | Harrow, London |
| School | State primary school in Harrow |
| Chess achievements | World Under-8 Champion in classical, rapid, and blitz chess (2023) |
| European Under-8 Rapid and Blitz silver medalist (2022) | |
| UK Women’s Blitz Championship runner-up (2022) | |
| European Blitz Championship best woman player (2023) | |
| bodhanasivanandan | |
| Wikipedia | Bodhana_Sivanandan |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Interest in Chess
Bodhana started playing chess when she was six years old, after watching her father play online. She quickly developed a passion and talent for the game and joined the Harrow Chess Club, where she received coaching from IM Lorin D’Costa. She also received support from the English Chess Federation and e-therapeutics, a biotechnology company that sponsors young chess players.
Education & School
Bodhana attends a state primary school in Harrow, where she balances her chess activities with her academic studies. She enjoys maths, science, and art and likes reading books and playing games with her brother. She also likes to travel and visit new places, especially where she can play chess tournaments.
Height, Weight, and Physical Stats
Bodhana Sivanandan is a petite girl with a height of about 130 cm and a weight of about 25 kg. She has black hair and brown eyes. She wears glasses and often dresses in casual clothes. She likes to wear a chess-themed necklace and earrings. She is healthy and active and enjoys swimming as a physical activity.
Nationality, Religion, and Ethnicity
Sivanandan is a British citizen who was born and lives in Harrow, London. She is of Indian origin and has a younger brother. Her parents support her chess career and often accompany her to tournaments. She attends a state primary school in Harrow, where she also plays chess for the school team.
She speaks English fluently and also knows some Hindi. She is a Hindu and follows the traditions and customs of her religion. She respects other cultures and religions and likes to learn about them. She is proud of her heritage and identity and also embraces her British nationality.
Chess Achievements and Style
Bodhana has been making waves in the chess world since she was seven years old. In December 2022, she won the UK Women’s Blitz Championship, breaking the age record by more than four years. She also became the youngest player ever to share second place in the event, behind GM David Howell.
In June 2023, she won two world championship titles in the Girls Under 8 category in Batumi, Georgia. She won both the rapid and the blitz events with a perfect score of 11/11, winning all her games in both formats. She repeated this feat in October 2023, when she won the classical title in the same category in Egypt, scoring 10/10 and clinching the title with a round to spare. She became the first player ever to win the triple crown of classical, rapid, and blitz titles in the same year.
In December 2023, she stunned the chess world with a sensational result in the European Blitz Championship in Zagreb, Croatia. She finished in 73rd place out of 555 players, scoring 8.5/13 and a rating performance of 2316. She beat one IM and one FM and drew with one GM. She won the prize for the best woman player, ahead of several higher-rated and more experienced players.
Bodhana is currently rated 1857 in classical, 1884 in blitz, and 1771 in rapid. She is the world’s third highest-rated player born in 2015 in classical chess and the second highest in blitz. She is also the highest-rated woman candidate master (WCM) in the world. She aims to become the youngest grandmaster in history, breaking the record of GM Abhimanyu Mishra, who achieved the title at 12 years and four months.
Bodhana’s chess style is pragmatic, no-nonsense, and confident. She plays fast and accurately, establishing a lead on the clock and a slight edge on the board. She prefers to swap queens to favor her endgame skills, where she shows remarkable technique and precision. She is versatile and flexible, playing a variety of openings and adapting to different positions. She is also calm and composed, not letting the pressure or the result affect her.
Interviews and Media Coverage
Bodhana has been featured in several interviews and media outlets, where she has shared her insights and experiences as a chess prodigy. She has been interviewed by ChessBase India, Chess.com, and ChessKid, among others. She has also appeared in a viral video with 79-year-old former British champion Peter Lee, where they played a friendly game and exchanged stories.
Bodhana has received praise and admiration from many prominent chess personalities, such as GM Peter Wells, IM Lawrence Trent, IM Irina Bulmaga, and IM Sagar Shah. She has also been congratulated by the English Chess Federation, the British Chess Magazine, and the Harrow Chess Club. She has been described as “one of the greatest talents I’ve witnessed”, “a phenomenon”, and “a chess sensation”.
Future Plans and Challenges
Bodhana has a bright future ahead of her, as she continues to pursue her chess dreams and goals. She plans to play more tournaments, both online and over the board, and improve her rating and skills. She also wants to learn from the best players in the world, such as GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Judit Polgar, and GM Hou Yifan.
However, Bodhana also faces challenges and difficulties, such as the lack of opportunities and support for young chess players in England, the high costs of traveling and coaching, and the pressure and expectations that come with being a prodigy. She also has to balance her chess activities with her academic studies and other interests, as well as cope with the pandemic and its effects on the chess world.
Bodhana Sivanandan is determined to overcome these challenges and obstacles, with the help of her family, coaches, sponsors, and friends. She is grateful for all the support and encouragement she has received from the chess community and the public. She hopes to inspire other young chess players and girls to follow their passion and achieve their potential.
Bodhana Sivanandan is an eight-year-old chess phenomenon who has made history by becoming England’s first world youth champion in 25 years and the first ever to win the triple crown of classical, rapid, and blitz titles in the same year. She is also the world’s third highest-rated player born in 2015 and an ambassador for ChessKid. She has a pragmatic, no-nonsense, and confident chess style, and aims to become the youngest grandmaster in history.
