Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan and 17-year-old Shreyas Royal have created history by winning the British Chess Championships 2026. The two Indian-origin talents dominated the prestigious tournament in what organizers called the biggest edition in its 122-year history. Over 1,750 players competed and a record prize fund of 34,000 pounds was on offer.
Bodhana completes classical hat-trick
Bodhana, a schoolgirl from northwest London, started playing chess during the COVID-19 lockdown. Her father’s friend was returning to India and left behind some bags, which included a chess board. She found the pieces fascinating and began playing. She is already the UK Open Women’s Blitz champion and the joint British Women’s Rapid champion. With this classical format victory, the 11-year-old has completed a stunning hat-trick of national titles. Her only loss in the championship came in round six against Shreyas Royal.
Shreyas beats experienced grandmasters
Shreyas Royal topped the standings after nine rounds and claimed the British title by half a point. He pushed experienced English grandmasters aside with consistent play. The teenager from southeast London is already England’s youngest-ever grandmaster. He said that no matter how hard the circumstances are, one must keep trying persistently. Born in Bengaluru, Shreyas moved to Britain at age three with his parents Jitendra and Anju Singh.
Special home office intervention in 2018
Around eight years ago, the English Chess Federation made a special request to the Home Office to allow Shreyas to stay in Britain and develop his talent. Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid made the decision in 2018 to let the family remain. After this win, Javid wrote on social media that watching Shreyas’s extraordinary talent blossom has been delightful and that the whole of Britain is proud of him.
Record participation and prize money
The 2026 British Chess Championships featured over 1,750 players, making it the largest-ever edition. The open championship offered a record 34,000 pounds in prize money. Bodhana and Shreyas have both strengthened their positions as world-class emerging chess talents with these historic victories.
