A Pinner schoolgirl who recently competed at a chess championship has made history after becoming the youngest person ever to secure the women’s prize.
Eight-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan is in Year 4 at St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, and is also a highly successful chess player. In 2022, aged just seven years old, she tied for the English women’s prize and became the youngest player to win any national adult title.
In December 2023, Bodhana competed in the European Blitz Chess Championship in Zagreb, Croatia. She defeated international master and England coach Lorin D’Costa, who is more than 30 years her senior, before taking first place.
Bodhana was awarded the under-12 prize as well as finishing top of the English contingent, but the competition has a one-prize-per-player rule, so she chose to take the women’s award. Several of her opponents, including Dominic Lawson, president of the English Chess Federation, have headed to social media to congratulate Bodhana on the “phenomenal” result.
A spokesperson for St John Fisher spoke to Pinnernews and said: “Bodhana is an inspiration to us all. She reflects what St John Fisher is all about: developing independent lifelong learners who flourish.
“Bodhana demonstrates to us all how we should not have any limits, and how we can all rise to be a champion in our chosen field.”
Bodhana has even had the opportunity to meet some very important people. Last summer, she was invited to 10 Downing Street to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, after he announced a £1million package to support children in disadvantaged areas to learn and play chess.
The school continued: “The school community is incredibly proud of Bodhana; this really is just the start for her. We are all so excited to see where her hard work takes her.”
Photo credit: St John Fisher School
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