Bodhana Sivanandan

 There was something unearthly about the way 10yo Bodhana Sivanandan looked at the three passable opponents she beat, as was inevitable, all at the same time on Chess Masters. It wasn't arrogance and it wasn't insouciant. She knew but there was something sinister in her innocent knowing. German might be able to concoct a word for it but the English language doesn't have one.

One might have thought that chess required some years of study, of building a database of opening theory and strategy but she hasn't had time for that.

One's sympathy has to be with her opponent here,

 who doesn't do much wrong and is clearly any good but is left out of time and facing checkmate while Bodhana has 45 seconds of her 3 minutes left.

There's something matter-of-fact about how she whips through the process of winning, briefly and intensely thoughtful once or twice but mainly dispatching the result as if it were a dance routine she knew.

Such precocious talent needs looking after because imbalances can occur in other parts of what we were once told was a triangle of life meaning something like social, intellectual and emotional. Bobby Fischer might have been better served by not being quite as good at chess.

 

Meanwhile, with my 2000+ ratings at Blitz and Rapid forever banked at Lichess, I've restored 1700+ at Bullet and 1800 at Classical and that's good for me. Maybe one day I'll inch one of those latter two to a better all-time high point but we all have our limits.