Nine-Year-Old Chess Prodigy to Represent England

Nine-year-old chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan from Harrow, London, will make history as the youngest player to represent England in any sport when she competes at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest in September. Sivanandan, who began playing chess during the COVID-19 lockdown at the age of five, has quickly risen to prominence, winning the world youth championship in 2022 and achieving numerous accolades in both rapid and blitz formats. She is more than a decade younger than her youngest teammate, with other team members being in their thirties and forties. Her selection has been praised by chess experts, who cite her exceptional skill, maturity, and fearless style of play. The selection committee attributes part of the recent surge in chess talent to the popularity of the Netflix show 'The Queen's Gambit.' Sivanandan aims to become a grandmaster and win a world title, reflecting her ambitious goals in the chess world.