Chess: English prodigies have proud record of giantkilling across the generations

From Jonathan Penrose to Bodhana Sivanandan, young talents have specialised in defeating established stars

Nearly half a century ago, at Brighton 1977, the 10-time British champion Jonathan Penrose faced a 12-year-old boy, Nigel Short, in round three of the national title contest.

Short already had a fast-growing reputation after defeating the legendary Viktor Korchnoi in a simultaneous display in London the previous year. David Bronstein, watching that game, compared the winner’s rook infiltration via the fifth rank after move 40 to José Capablanca’s strategy against Aron Nimzowitsch at New York 1927.

Penrose disliked his position from the opening, and offered an early draw which Short declined, going on to score in 41 moves. The final stage illustrates the aphorism, attributed to Adolf Anderssen and Wilhelm Steinitz, that with a knight on the sixth rank, you can go to sleep and let the game win itself.

More than a quarter of a century earlier, at Southsea 1950, Penrose had himself been the star of a game against a leading grandmaster when the then 16-year-old defeated the former world championship challenger Efim Bogolyubov in round three. It is an occasion I remember only too well, as I had drawn easily with the black pieces against Bogolyubov in round two and had been complimented for my play in Harry Golombek’s Times report, a feat which was instantly forgotten when Bogolyubov turned over his king.

Giantkilling upsets continue. When England’s prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan defeated the grandmaster Ameet Ghasi at the 2026 British Championship, the game was awarded the best game prize for its strategic depth.

Meanwhile, important English chess events lie ahead and Guardian readers have the opportunity to participate. The English Championships reach their final rounds this weekend, with the Olympiad grandmasters Michael Adams and Gawain Maroroa Jones fighting a flock of ambitious rivals. The pair met in round five and, in a display of mutual respect, swiftly hoovered the pieces off the board for a draw. After six rounds (of nine) the leaders were GM Jones and IM Jonah Willow on 5, with GM Adams, IM Marcus Harvey, GM Neil McDonald and GM Danny Gormally on 4.5.

From 24 November to 6 December, the XTX Markets London Classic will be played at Hammersmith, with Sivanandan entered for the Fide Swiss, while the traditional Hastings congress celebrates its 100th edition, starting on 28 December. Hastings had its giantkilling moment in 1970, when the little-known student Martyn Corden shocked the former world champion Vasily Smyslov.

This year Hastings has already announced the participation of three young 2500-rated grandmasters: Brewington Hardaway (2509) US, Nikoloz Petriashvili (2522) Georgia, and Leonardo Costa (2555) Germany.

Meanwhile, England’s 12-year-old prodigy Supratit Banerjee is bidding for his first GM norm in Stockholm. The Sutton Grammar schoolboy, who is already England’s second youngest IM, began well in a closed,tournament where three competitors are GMs and the other seven are all aspirants to the title. In the third round, he defeated Ireland’s Tarun Kanyamarala, but he later dropped back with successive defeats.

4048: 1…Rh1+! 2 Bxh1 Qh5 3 Kg2 Qh2+ 4 Kf3 Qxf2+ 5 Kxg4 Be6+ 6 Kh5 Qh2+ 7 Kg6 Qh6 mate.