India-origin teenagers Bodhana, Shreyas become 2026 British chess champions
Indian-origin teenagers Bodhana Sivanandan and Shreyas Royal have won the women's and open titles at the 2026 British Chess Championships. Their victories have been celebrated as significant achievements for young talent in the UK chess scene.
Why it matters
It showcases the success of immigrant communities in sports and highlights the rise of young prodigies in international chess.
Indian-origin teenagers Bodhana Sivanandan and Shreyas Royal have made a major mark on British chess after winning the women’s and open titles at the 2026 British Chess Championships in Coventry.Bodhana, just 11, became the youngest-ever British women’s champion after beating 14-year-old Ireland-based talent Trisha Kanyamarala in a tense rapid-chess playoff.Her performance drew huge praise, with Grandmaster Danny Gormally saying: "Unreal! Bodhana has won. She is unbelievable, a generational talent," during his commentary for the English Chess Federation.Bodhana’s chess journey began during the COVID-19 lockdown, when a family friend gave her a chess board while returning to India. “I was interested in the pieces, so I started playing," she said at the time.
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