Born in London, England, Bodhana’s family originally hails from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. |
Started playing chess at age 5 during the COVID-19 lockdown after stumbling upon a chessboard at home. |
Her father, who only knew basic chess, initially downloaded Chess.com to help her learn through videos. |
In March 2022, she quickly rose to become the world’s No. 1 blitz player in the under-8 girls’ category. |
Won three gold medals at the European Schools Chess Championship in May 2022, winning all 24 games. |
In December 2023, she excelled at the European Blitz Championship in Zagreb, securing the women's prize. |
Youngest athlete to represent England internationally in any sport in 2024 during the Chess Olympiad. |
Achieved her first Woman Grandmaster norm at the Dole Trophy in July 2025 with a performance rating of 2401. |
Broke the record for the youngest female chess player to defeat a grandmaster at 10 years, 5 months, and 3 days. |
An ambassador for ChessKid.com and starred in a viral video with former British chess champion Peter Lee. |
Carries a cushioned seat to comfortably reach the chessboard during matches. |
Also learned to play piano and violin but focused primarily on chess. |