New Delhi, Bodhana Sivanandan, an 11-year-old Indian-origin chess prodigy, has become England's top-rated female player, according to the International Chess Federation.
With a FIDE rating of 2366, Bodhana has overtaken four-time British women's champion Lan Yao and broken into the world's top 100 women, currently sitting at number 72.
Bodhana, a primary school student based in North London, took up the game during lockdown after finding a chessboard and set in a bag her father wanted to throw out.
Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak congratulated Bodhana, recalling a game they played at his official residence.
Bodhana became a Woman International Master last year and outwitted Ukraine's former world champion, Grandmaster Mariya Muzychuk, at the European Club Cup in Rhodes, Greece.
