An Eight Year Old NRI girl Bodhana Sivanandan has been crowned
best female player at the European blitz chess championships.

Los Angeles, Dec 20, 2023
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

Bodhana Sivanandan, from Harrow, north-west London, scored 8.5/13 at the event in Croatia, finishing ahead of seasoned professionals in the process.

She defeated an international master and drew with a grandmaster, in a result described as "unbelievable". The chess prodigy, who began playing aged five, said she was "proud" of her performance over the weekend.

In late October, the eight-year-old prodigy made headlines by becoming England's first world youth champion in 25 years when she achieved the historic triple crown by winning titles in classical, rapid, and blitz. It was a stunning achievement showcasing her exceptional talent and prowess in chess.

Her chess journey extended to the European Rapid & Blitz Championship in Zagreb, Croatia, which concluded on Saturday with gold medals for GM Alexey Sarana and GM David Navara respectively.

Bodhana delivered an outstanding 5/11 result with a 2056 performance in the rapid, but it was her performance in the 13-round blitz tournament that captured the attention of fellow players.

A total of 555 players participated in the event, among them 48 GMs and 50 IMs. Sivanandan finished in an incredible 73rd place with 8.5 points and scored a rating performance of 2316.

Bodhana has been making waves in the English chess scene since the age of seven. She remarkably won the 2022 UK Women's Blitz Championship, breaking the age record by more than four years. The feat earned her praise from The Guardian's legendary chess columnist Leonard Barden.

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