![\"Indian-origin](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133099259,imgsize-137561,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/bodhana-sivanandan-and-shreyas-royal.jpg\" "\\"Bodhana")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIndian-origin teenagers Bodhana Sivanandan and Shreyas Royal have made a major mark on British chess after winning the women\u2019s and open titles at the 2026 British Chess Championships in Coventry.Bodhana, just 11, became the youngest-ever British women\u2019s 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\u2019s chess journey began during the COVID-19 lockdown, when a family friend gave her a chess board while returning to India. \u201cI 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\u2019s Blitz title and a share of the British Women\u2019s Rapid crown.<\/p>\n Seventeen-year-old Shreyas Royal won the Open British Championship after finishing half a point ahead of England\u2019s 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\u2019s youngest grandmaster at 15.His latest victory also attracted praise from former minister Sajid Javid, who recalled helping Royal\u2019s family remain in Britain.\u201cIn 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 \u00a334,000 prize fund for the open event.<\/div>\nShreyas Royal won British Championship in open category<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n