Shreyas Royal and Bodhana Sivanandan Win British Chess Championships 2026

Two Indian-origin teenagers have taken the spotlight in British chess. At the 2026 British Chess Championships held in Coventry, 17-year-old Shreyas Royal claimed the open title, while 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan won the women's championship. Together, their wins mark a standout moment for young Indian-origin talent in the UK chess scene.

17-Year-Old Grandmaster Shreyas Royal Wins His First British Championship

1. Royal secured the overall title after nine intense rounds, finishing just half a point ahead of England's more experienced grandmasters.
2. Shreyas Royal, the youngest British Grandmaster, defeated Luke McShane in a spectacular game at the British Chess Championship.
3. It's his first British Championship win, adding another milestone to an already impressive career. 
4. Royal moved to the UK from Bangalore with his family at age three and went on to become England's youngest-ever grandmaster at just 15. 
5. His journey has been closely watched by former Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who had approved the family's stay in Britain back in 2018 and publicly praised Royal's win, saying Britain was proud of how his talent had flourished. 
6. Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis also congratulated him and has reportedly been linked with sponsoring his future career.

Indian-Origin Sivanandan Becomes the Youngest British Women's Champ Ever

1. At just 11 years old, Bodhana Sivanandan made history by becoming the youngest player ever to win the British women's title. 
2. She beat 14-year-old Trisha Kanyamarala, an Ireland-based player, in a tightly contested rapid-chess playoff.
3. This win wasn't a standalone achievement either; it completed a hat trick of titles for her in British chess this year, following her win at the UK Open Women's Blitz Championship and a shared British Women's Rapid Championship title.

This year's tournament was a big one overall, drawing more than 1,750 entries and offering a record £34,000 prize fund for the open event.