Judit Polgar Meets 9-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan

In a heartwarming meeting, GM Judit Polgar welcomed the nine-year-old British chess prodigy WFM Bodhana Sivanandan to her home city, Budapest, for a day of lessons and mentorship.

Bodhana, currently among the world's highest-rated players under 10, has taken the chess world by storm thanks to numerous record-breaking achievements that culminated in a historic inclusion as the youngest-ever player for England in the 45th Chess Olympiad.

Her performances have even caught the attention of Polgar, the greatest female player of all time. She invited the young star to some lessons and advice at her chess center in Budapest, and the two sat down to discuss their experiences and goals in the game. 

It was a fascinating meeting where the Hungarian legend offered guidance and shared her decades of experiences in the chess world while Bodhana soaked in advice from her chess idol. When Polgar asked about her career goals, she didn’t hesitate: "I want to become a world champion and one of the greatest players in the world."

I want to become a world champion and one of the greatest players in the world.

 —Bodhana Sivanandan

Polgar followed up and asked if she planned to be better than GM Magnus Carlsen. "Yes,” came the simple, confident reply. And how does she envision her path toward that goal? "I will just keep on correcting my mistakes and just keep on enjoying it instead of stressing myself," the nine-year-old responded.

For Polgar, such high ambitions were familiar territory, as she broke gender barriers to reach number eight in the world. She has beaten a total of 11 world champions, including the likes of GM Garry Kasparov and Carlsen.

Polgar detailed her own path toward the top, explaining that at Bodhana's age, she could work up to 10 hours a day. "It went from 10 minutes to half an hour. By the age of 8-9, I was playing 5-6 hours already. I was also traveling to tournaments. Most of my days I went on to play chess, and I was preparing for school only for a certain period before the exams."

When Bodhana said that she wanted to become a grandmaster at the of 12, Polgar encouraged her to challenge herself and face the toughest opponents.

"It's a great joy and music to my ears that you want to excel in the open section because I think this is the road to [becoming] the best chess player you can be. You have to play with the players who give you the best and biggest challenges. That's how you can improve your chess."

You have to play with the players who give you the best and biggest challenges. That's how you can improve your chess.

 —Judit Polgar

Polgar also put Bodhana up for a real blindfold challenge. "What is the evaluation of this position?" she asked. White to move.

This is the second video from the meeting in Budapest. The first focuses on the masterclass where the legend goes through one of her most famous games.