India-origin teenagers Bodhana, Shreyas become 2026 British chess champions

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. Since then, the north-west London schoolgirl has collected major honours, including the UK Open Women’s Blitz title and a share of the British Women’s Rapid crown.Seventeen-year-old Shreyas Royal won the overall British Championship after finishing half a point ahead of England’s experienced grandmasters following nine rounds. It is his first British title and another major step in his rise as a top young chess player.Royal, who moved from Bangalore to the UK with his family at the age of three, became England’s youngest grandmaster at 15.His latest victory also attracted praise from former minister Sajid Javid, who recalled helping Royal’s family remain in Britain.“In 2018, as Home Secretary, I took a decision to allow Shreyas and his family to remain in the UK. Wonderful to see his extraordinary talent flourish. Britain is proud of you, Shreyas," he said.The 2026 championships featured more than 1,750 entries and a record £34,000 prize fund for the open event.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.