Two Indian-origin chess prodigies, Bodhana Sivanandan and Shreyas Royal, are making headlines in Britain for their exceptional chess skills. Both are British citizens of Indian origin, with Bodhana being eight years old and Shreyas fourteen.
Bodhana Sivanandan has achieved remarkable success at a very young age. She won the under-8 title at the World Cadet Championship and is also the World Youth Champion. Her current ranking in England in the women’s category is 30th. Her achievements include defeating three International Masters and drawing against several others.
Shreyas Royal’s accomplishments are equally impressive. He is currently ranked 19th among active players in England. At the London Chess tournament in December 2023, he defeated a Grandmaster and drew with several high-rated players, earning his second Grandmaster norm. This puts him on the path to becoming the youngest Grandmaster to represent England.
Both prodigies come from families that migrated to the UK. Bodhana’s parents are from Tamil Nadu, and she began playing chess at the age of five. Shreyas was born in Bengaluru, and his family became British citizens after a campaign by the English chess community and MPs to allow them to stay in the UK due to his exceptional talent.
Their stories highlight the impact of young talent in the chess world and their contributions to the chess community in Britain [❞] [❞].
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