Eight-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan from London has been topped greatest feminine chess participant on the European blitz championships, scoring 8.5/13 on the occasion and drawing with a grandmaster in a outcome described as “unbelievable.” The BBC experiences: The chess prodigy, who started taking part in aged 5, stated she was “proud” of her efficiency over the weekend. The match 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 greatest to win, typically it occurs and typically it does not,” Bodhana informed BBC Radio 4’s Right now program. “I used to be very pleased with myself after I received prime 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 biggest skills I’ve witnessed in latest 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 biggest participant and more than likely one of many biggest 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 working tournaments, on December 28.