Chess: Bodhana, nine, takes on 20 in Trafalgar Square after England call-up

Bodhana Sivanandan, nine, the Harrow schoolgirl selected for the England women’s team, took on 20 opponents simultaneously on Sunday at the annual ChessFest in Trafalgar Square. ChessFest, now in its fourth year, attracted an estimated 23,000 participants for displays of living and blindfold chess, speed games against grandmasters, free lessons from qualified tutors, and a transatlantic match with the US. It was organised by the charity Chess in Schools and Communities, with support from the Mayor of London and XTX Markets.

Earlier, Sivanandan became the youngest person to be chosen for a full England team in any sport when she was included in the squad of five to compete at the 180-nation Budapest Women’s Olympiad in September. Her Fide world rating is 2185, close to master level, and she already ranks as England’s No 7 female expert, with two of those ahead of her unavailable. England finished 32nd in the 2022 Women’s Olympiad, but there are also individual honours. On her best form, Sivanandan could compete for a board five medal.

Sivanandan’s Olympiad debut will be watched by Judit Polgár, the all-time No 1 woman, who recently gave the nine-year-old a personal training session. 

England’s Open team in Budapest are expected to be contenders for a top 10 finish. Two years ago, David Howell won gold for the best individual Olympiad performance, while the 2024 squad has been strengthened by the addition of Russian-born Nikita Vitiugov.   

Michael Adams, Howell, Gawain Jones and Luke McShane, who all played in 2022, complete the team.

McShane was in action last week in Philadelphia at the World Open, a giant event with 244 participants, plus hundreds more in rating-limited sections. It was first staged in 1973 in the wake of the Bobby Fischer boom. First prize is $20,000. Over the years, the UK has registered five joint wins: three by the late Tony Miles, and one each by Michael Adams and Scotland’s Jonathan Rowson.

McShane played well, and entered the final round as clear second on 6.5/8, half a point behind Awonder Liang of the US. The 21-year-old University of Chicago student, who became a grandmaster at age 14, is one of America’s best young players, though he ranks behind the top US duo of world Nos 2 and 3, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura.

Crucially, Liang had white against McShane, and used the optimum strategy against a must-win opponent of keeping a small but nagging edge. Eventually, McShane weakened his position, the white army invaded his defences, and he was checkmated.

Instead of $20,000, he won just $408 for shared eighth to 20th place, a demonstration of the hazards of open tournaments. 

Puzzle 2580

Harry Pillsbury vs Géza Maróczy, Paris 1900. How did White (to play) force a win in just three  moves?

Click here for solution