London, England, UK: In a historic moment for chess, 10-year-old British prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, of Indian origin, achieved a stunning victory over former World Champion Grandmaster Mariya Muzychuk at the European Club Cup held in Rhodes, Greece, on Sunday. With this win, she became one of the youngest players ever to defeat a former World Champion in competitive play.
Born in London in 2015 to parents hailing from Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, Bodhana represents north London’s She Plays to Win Lionesses, the 12th-seeded team in the championship. Although her team fell 3-1 to Turkish Airlines in the opening round, her individual triumph stood out as a highlight of the tournament.
The victory was particularly impressive because Muzychuk, ranked world No. 13 with a FIDE rating of 2485, was rated nearly 280 points higher than Bodhana’s 2205. English Grandmaster Danny Gormally praised her performance, commenting, “She seems to be defeating a GM every week now!” Meanwhile, England’s top-ranked Grandmaster David Howell added, “It’s rare to see a 10-year-old take down a former World Champion with such brilliance.”
Former Women’s World Champion Susan Polgar also described Bodhana’s play as “remarkable.”
Earlier this year, Bodhana made headlines when she defeated Grandmaster Peter Wells, age 60, at the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool, becoming the youngest female player ever to beat a grandmaster. At 10 years, five months, and three days old, she broke the previous record set by American Carissa Yip in 2019. During the same tournament, she also achieved a WGM norm, further cementing her rising status in the chess world.
A student from Harrow, Bodhana began playing chess during the pandemic lockdown. In 2024, she became the youngest athlete to represent England internationally in any sport, competing at the Chess Olympiad in Hungary.
Grandmaster Gormally reflected on the resurgence of English chess, saying, “We’ve had good players over the years, but not many great ones. Now, with talents like GM Shreyas Royal, Bodhana Sivanandan, FM Supratit Banerjee, and FM Ethan Pang, we’re seeing a truly exciting new generation emerge.”
Bodhana Sivanandan’s extraordinary rise signals the arrival of a new era for English chess, inspiring young talents across the globe.
