¨ Indian-origin chess players Bodhana Sivanandan and Shreyas Royal won major titles at the 2026 British Chess Championships.
¨ The nine-day championship concluded on 9 August 2026.
¨ The event was held at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England.
¨ More than 2,600 entries were recorded across all sections.
¨ The British Chess Championships is a long-running national chess event in the United Kingdom.
¨ The 2026 edition marked the 122nd year of the championship series.
¨ It included several title categories, including the Overall Championship and the Women’s Championship.
¨ Bodhana Sivanandan became Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s Chess Champion at the age of 11.
¨ She defeated Irish Women Grandmaster Trisha Kanyamarala in a rapid playoff after the main rounds ended with tied scores.
¨ Sivanandan suffered only one defeat during the tournament.
¨ Her only loss came in Round 6 against Shreyas Royal, who later won the overall championship.
¨ Shreyas Royal won his first overall British Chess Championship title at the age of 17.
¨ He finished half a point ahead of English Grandmasters Luke McShane and Michael Adams.
¨ Michael Adams is a nine-time British champion.
¨ Royal became the youngest-ever winner of the overall British title.
¨ His victory added to several age-related records achieved during the 2026 championship.