10-yr-old British-Indian Bodhana Sivanandan defeats Grandmaster Peter Wells
2025 British Chess Championships
LIVERPOOL: Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old British chess player of Indian descent, made history at the 2025 British Chess Championships by defeating Grandmaster Peter Wells in the tournament’s final round. The chess prodigy set a new record as the youngest female player to beat a grandmaster, surpassing the previous mark set by American Carissa Yip in 2019, reported The Indian Express.
Born and raised in London, Bodhana’s family originally hails from Trichy, Tamil Nadu. Her father, Sivanandan Velayutham, an IT professional, relocated the family to the UK in 2007. At a very young age Bodhana became a prominent figure in British chess circles. She was also invited to 10 Downing Street by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2023.
Young Bodhana uses a cushioned seat to reach the chessboard. Her father said that she began playing at five after discovering a chessboard at home. Initially, he supported her learning by downloading free instructional videos on Chess.com, not expecting her to pursue the game seriously.
Since then, Bodhana has garnered three world junior titles. Her victory over the experienced 60-year-old Wells was a surprise, as she faced considerable difficulty mid-game. By the 19th move, Wells’ knights were threatening her king and by the 26th move, she seemed likely to lose. Even at move 37, the outlook was bleak. However, a tactical error by Wells followed by precise moves from Bodhana reversed the position, leading to Wells’ resignation. English Chess Federation commentator Danny Gormally described the win as almost magical.
She chose to compete in the open event. Bodhana earned 24 rating points with her win and her joint was placed 26th open category. Her favourite players are Judit Polgar and Magnus Carlsen.
According to the report, Bodhana appreciates the way chess uses the brain and involves strategy and calculation. Bodhana also plays piano and violin.
Tim Wall, Director of Junior Chess at the English Chess Federation, lauding Bodhana's poise and maturity on the board, said that she would reach the grandmaster level within three to four years.
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Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
