'Phenomenon': Girl, 8, crowned best female chess player at European championship

Bodhana Sivanandan made history after defeating a master player 30 years her senior to be crowned the best female player at a Euro championship, ITV News' Ellie Pitt reports

An eight-year-old girl has made chess history, after defeating a master player 30 years her senior to be crowned the best female player at the European Blitz Chess Championships.

London born Bodhana Sivanandan scored 8.5 out of 13 at the event in Croatia, finishing ahead of seasoned professionals in the competition.

Having started playing at the age of five, she took out an international master and drew with a grandmaster in a performance she said she was "proud" of over the weekend.

Playing a quick form of chess, in blitz time control, she had just minutes on her clock to make the moves she needed to win.

She eventually finished 73rd out of 555 players, which included 48 grandmasters and 50 international masters.

“I always try my best to win; sometimes, it happens and, sometimes, it doesn’t. I was very proud of myself when I got top girl in the European Blitz,” Bodhana said, when speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today program,

In the penultimate round, she defeated England's women's coach and international master Lorin D'Costa.

Her performance caught the eye of a number of elite players, including Romanian international master Irina Bulmaga, who dubbed her a "phenomenon."

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Bulmaga wrote: "Unbelievable result by 8 yo girl- Bodhana, who held a draw in the last round of the European Blitz Championship to score 8,5p/ 13, winning the 1st prize among women ahead of me and a bunch of other experienced players! What a phenomenon she is!”

Meanwhile, the English Chess Federation congratulated Sivanandan, writing on X: “Well done Bodhana. A terrific performance.”

Rishi Sunak plays chess against Bodhana Sivanandan earlier this year. Credit: Downing Street

She later drew with the two-time Romanian champion grandmaster Vladislav Nevednichy, 54, in the final round.

It made her the youngest player to avoid defeat against a grandmaster in a competitive game.

Earlier this year she was invited to Downing Street to play chess with the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, ahead of the government investing £1 million into the game in a bid to increase the number of English grandmasters.

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