Eight-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan from London has been topped finest feminine chess participant on the European blitz championships, scoring 8.5/13 on the occasion and drawing with a grandmaster in a end result described as “unbelievable.” The BBC reviews: The chess prodigy, who started taking part in aged 5, stated she was “proud” of her efficiency over the weekend. The event was held on the blitz time management — a fast type of chess the place gamers have simply minutes on their clocks for his or her strikes. Bodhana’s opponents included grandmasters – the best title given to the world’s strongest gamers — worldwide masters and specialists.
“I all the time attempt my finest to win, generally it occurs and generally it would not,” Bodhana advised BBC Radio 4’s In the present day program. “I used to be very pleased with myself after I obtained high woman within the European blitz.” Requested if she will get nervous, she replied: “No, I simply play the board.”
British Worldwide Grasp and commentator Lawrence Trent described Bodhana as “one of many best abilities I’ve witnessed in current reminiscence.” “The maturity of her play, her elegant contact, it is actually breath taking,” he wrote on X. “I’ve little doubt she will probably be England’s best participant and almost certainly one of many best the sport has ever seen,” Mr Trent added. Bodhana will subsequent compete on the Worldwide Chess Congress in Hastings, one of many world’s longest operating tournaments, on December 28.