Bodhana Sivanandan - Chess prodigy
A nine-year-old chess prodigy is set to make history as the youngest person ever to represent England internationally in any sport.
She will join the England Women's team at the chess olympiad in Hungary, later this year - 2023.
Her team mate is 23 years old Lan Yao.
Two years ago, Bodhana won all three chess world championships for the under eight age group.
The game is seeing a surge of interest among young people, according to Mr Pein - Manager of England chess team, which he attributes to two factors - the legacy of the lockdowns and the impact of smash-hit Netflix drama The Queen’s Gambit, which is about a gifted female chess player.
Abhimanyu Mishra, from the US, holds the record for the youngest person to reach grandmaster in 2021, when he was just 12. *UPSC 2025 prelims
But Bodhana says she intends to clinch the title (Grandmaster) at the tender age of 10. One year, she is keen to point out, before she finishes primary school.
