The Girl Who Knows Endgames

We live in an age of world records. Stories about a boy who wins the world title at 18, a girl who becomes World Champion at 16, or a pre-teen who becomes a grandmaster are not surprising anyone anymore. That's why when I read the news about yet another chess prodigy, I didn’t even bother to check her games. It was when 10-year-old WIM Bodhana Sivanandan beat a former Women's World Champion that I knew I had to see the games of this remarkable girl—and I wasn't disappointed. Just look at the game:

It was a very smooth game in which the former Women's World Champion Mariya Muzychuk was completely outplayed. But what made it truly impressive was its simplicity. There were no flashy sacrifices or deep calculations—just steady, relentless pressure until Black finally collapsed. It immediately brought memories of a famous game where a youngster beat a World Champion in the same opening using the same style:

At first, I was sure that Bodhana knew this old game, but the more I analyzed her games, the less certain I became. 

First of all, I was shocked to see that a very young girl just loves endgames! What most players consider the most boring part of the game seems to be the most fascinating for Bodhana. It reminds me of my experience with a book that shaped me as a chess player.

In the introduction to that book, GM Mikhail Tal shared his shock after seeing GM Anatoly Karpov's games. Tal said that when you think of a 15-year-old prodigy, you expect long and sharp opening variations, crazy attacks, etc. Instead, he saw boring Closed Sicilians and the Classical Ruy Lopez. Tal shows a game that made a very strong impression on him since the youngster completely outplayed a very experienced master:

You can watch the game with Karpov's annotations in the following video, starting at 7:10

Now imagine my amazement when I saw the following game played in true Karpovian style:

Due to her very young age, it is quite unlikely that Bodhana studied hundreds of games played by positional players like Jose Raul Capablanca, Karpov, or GM Magnus Carlsen. Yet, she is a real endgame pro. If you want to improve your play in this most hated part of chess, play through Bodhana games and watch how she gradually outplays her opponents from equal or even worse positions!

Here are some instructive lessons from Bodhana on the following kinds of endgames:

Rook Endgames

Opposite-colored Bishops Endgame

Knight Endgame

Two-bishops Endgames

Good Knight vs. Bad Bishop Endgame

With this unbelievable amount of natural talent, it is a given that Bodhana Sivanandan will be an elite player. But personally, I will be surprised if she doesn't become a world champion one day.