Sometimes chess just gives you a nice warm feeling inside. So it was when Bodhana Sivanandan faced U.S. Chess Hall of Famer James Sherwin at the 2025 UK Open Blitz Qualifier.

At World Chess we like to bring you a bit of light relief from time-to-time. After all, the game isn’t just about bore draws and cheating scandals.

One heart-warming moment happened last weekend when England's rising star WFM Bodhana Sivanandan faced the veteran American IM James Sherwin at a national tournament in the UK.

Sivanandan is a 10-year-old schoolgirl making waves in the chess world. You may have read about her. Sherwin, meanwhile, is a 92-year-old U.S. Chess Hall of Famer who featured in a famous game against the legendary Bobby Fischer. It's possible you've read about him too.

The pair bridged their incredible age gap over the board after this extraordinary encounter was thrown up by the pairings at the 2025 UK Open Blitz Qualifier in Cardiff, Wales.

How it went

Sherwin v Sivanandan wasn't a classic. It was no surprise when Sivanandan won on her way to a tournament score of 12.5/15, securing qualification to the UK Open Blitz Finals in November.

In beating her elder, the Harrow schoolgirl gained yet another feather for the cap. In her short career so far, Sivanandan's achievements have been tantalizing.

Earlier this year became the youngest female player to beat a grandmaster in a classical tournament at the 2025 British Chess Championship.

Before that she scored another landmark result when she achieved a WGM norm with 4.5/9 at the Aix-en-Provence tournament in France.

Sivanandan is a seriously hot prospect for the future and in England the chess community is extremely excited about her.

Making history

Down the years, Sherwin, a New York native who now lives in London, has also made his mark. He played many greats, including Tigran Petrosian, Mikhail Tal, and Samuel Reshevsky.

But Sherwin carved his immutable place in chess history playing another prodigy: a 14-year-old Fischer at the 1957 US Chess Championship.

Fischer, who Sherwin knew well, played the thunderbolt 18.Nxh7!! sacrificing his knight for a devastating attack that overwhelmed his older opponent.

The game became famous and was immortalized in Fischer's book My 60 Memorable Games, titled "Too Little, Too Late". It showcased Fischer's exceptional tactical skill and his maturity.

Sixty-eight years later, Sherwin faced Sivanandan. Thankfully, the moment was captured for posterity by the photographer Fanella Headlong.

"Proof that chess connects generations like no other sport," as the English Chess Federation put it.