The Sivanandans don't use social media much and don't possess a TV. They did, however, see the hateful remarks that surfaced after their nine-year-old daughter was selected for the English chess Olympiad squad. A BBC news article on X sparked a barrage of alarmingly racist comments. They criticised her skin tone and looks and asked that she leave the nation. Bodhana, a prodigy, is now the youngest person to represent her nation in a significant international athletic event. She was one of the five players selected for the English women's team, and on Wednesday she won the first round of the Olympiad in Budapest, where she will make her debut.
Sivanandan, Bodhana's father, told HT, "We saw the kind of things people said after she made the Olympiad team." The family resides in northwest London's Harrow. We knew there was no way to please everyone, so we chose not to let it bother us. Like in the folktale of the dad, the son, and the donkey. There will always be some in England who think she shouldn't represent the nation, and those in India who think she should return and play for their country. In any case, there will always be a number of commenters. Jovanka Houska, her nine-time British women's chess champion and partner, said shortly after she was selected, "I've had a lot of players say to me that they're terrified of playing her." Hardly anybody can blame them. A nine year old on the verge of 2200 Elo can be frightening. Bodhana, an Under-8 world champion, became interested in chess during the epidemic after receiving some of Sivanandan's possessions that he no longer needed from his buddy who was leaving for India. A chess set was one of them.
Bodhana was instantly addicted to the pieces. Kids have a tendency to switch interests fast. At first, I suggested that she try out some of the free online games. She quite soon ran them all out," chuckles Sivanandan, a Bengaluru native who relocated to London. Bodhana's father is frequently asked if he intends to withdraw her out of formal schooling so that she may focus on her chess game, given her recent quick progress in the game. The fact is, you only attend school once in your lifetime. It's difficult to reproduce at home what you learn in school, whether it's social skills or just having people you can chat to about topics other than chess. Bodhana's friends and classmates talk about and watch football a lot in class. She now enjoys football as well. She'll tell me everything when she gets home from school.
