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Press release
Bodhana, the superstar schoolgirl from Harrow who was named in England’s squad for the Chess Olympiad in September, spent most of the day taking on all-comers in a simultaneous display. She also took to the main stage for a trans-Atlantic match organised by ChessKid.com against top U.S. talents and, with her father Siva, enjoyed meeting many of her new-found fans.
Bodhana said: "ChessFest was so much fun, I had a great time. It rained very heavily at one point but then the sun came out and I played a lot of chess."
Bodhana Sivanandan playing four-year-old Rory Watson at ChessFest
Bodhana was joined by a host of top UK grandmasters and three other young English super-talents: 15-year-old Shreyas Royal, who is on the brink of becoming England’s youngest ever grandmaster, fast-rising under 10 Supratit Banerjee and Ethan Pang, the world’s number-one under-9 player.
British Champion Gawain Jones and England’s number-one Nikita Vitiugov, both world-class grandmasters, treated the crowd to a display of blindfold chess. There was also an appearance from Anthony Mathurin, from the BBC show The Traitors, who is a chess coach.
The festival, now in its fourth year, drew chess enthusiasts from across the country, including many of the country’s top grandmasters, for a day of fun suitable for every level of player. It was organised by the charity Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC) with support from the Mayor of London and XTX Markets.
Malcolm Pein, Chief Executive of Chess in Schools and Communities, said: "It was wonderful to see over 23,000 people enjoying what is the Glastonbury of chess in Trafalgar Square. A mid-afternoon downpour did not stop play, unlike the cricket!"
More pictures from the day are available here
About Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC):
Chess in Schools and Communities is a UK-wide charity founded in 2009, whose mission is to improve children’s educational outcomes and social development by introducing them to the game of chess. We run over 1,000 projects in schools, libraries and prisons and a world-class tournament, the London Chess Classic, each December.
About XTX Markets:
ChessFest is supported by XTX Markets, a world-leading algorithmic trading firm delivering quality liquidity across financial markets.
For more information contact:
Leon Watson
Chess in Schools & Communities
leonjameswatson@gmail.com
07786078770
