GM David Howell is the first grandmaster to triumph in Kids vs. Stars without losing a game after making draws against IM Marco Materia and FM Supratit Banerjee and beating FM Megan Paragua and WFM Bodhana Sivanandan. The 3-1 win wasn’t easy, with the English grandmaster confessing, “I was up all night, could barely sleep, just fearing these kids!”
Simul Results
Kids vs. Stars is a ChessKid series that pits established players against promising young talents. The Kids won the first two editions, but in the last three, the grandmasters have struck back, with GMs Anish Giri and Daniel Naroditsky both winning 2.5-1.5. This time, it was 34-year-old Howell, a child prodigy who famously defeated GM John Nunn at age eight, who took on the Kids, ranging from ten-year-old Sivanandan to 16-year-old Materia.
Howell had the white pieces on all four boards and received 65 minutes plus a 15-second increment, while the Kids had 15+15. The four games were played simultaneously, with the first side to reach 2.5 points winning the encounter.
“I was actually panicking, I was up all night, could barely sleep, just fearing these kids!” said Howell, who added:
There’s a reason kids have a reputation these days, and I think playing chess is stressful, at the best of times, but especially when these youngsters are out to get you, out to kill you! Commentary these days feels like second nature, but playing is another level of tough.
These youngsters are out to get you, out to kill you!
—David Howell
Howell has experience as both a prodigy and a victim of prodigies. He noted the youngest player he’s lost to over the board was GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who was 12 when he won their classical game on the Isle of Man in 2017.
“That was a cold shower, a rude awakening,” said Howell, before continuing, “at least he went on to do good things, so I can’t complain too much!”
The good news for Howell was that IM Alice Lee, the conqueror of both Giri and Naroditsky, was absent this time, playing in the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, but the Kids were nevertheless formidable.
Let’s take a look at the games in the order that they finished.
Howell ½-½ Materia
Sixteen-year-old Materia is the 2025 French Rapid Champion and European Under-16 Champion, and, despite playing only as a late replacement for IM-elect Tani Adewumi, the French IM never looked in trouble. The game was balanced, or at times slightly better for Black, until Howell forced a draw by repetition.
Making a draw against your highest-rated opponent is never bad in a simul, and while the same can also be said about the second-highest-rated player, 11-year-old Banerjee had Howell genuinely worried.
Howell ½-½ Banerjee
“Halfway through the match I was freaking out a bit, especially about one of the boards, I couldn’t see any good moves, and I decided to postpone any decisions until the last possible second,” said Howell after winning the simul, and this was the board he was worried about. Howell called his 17.Nb5?! his worst move of the day, describing it as a “move first, think later type of decision.” The English youngster correctly struck with 17…f5!.
That was what led, a few moves later, to Howell sacrificing his rook on b1 for the knight on b3, a decision of which GM Ben Finegold commented, “I don’t like this exchange sac, and I like all exchange sacs!”
Howell explained his decision-making:
I just couldn’t see a move, I couldn’t see a plan. I was so angry at myself for playing the move Nb5 a bit earlier, just before sacrificing, because it kind of left me committed. I just had nothing else to do, and he would just slowly build up, improve his position, so I thought I’d change the nature of the game, maybe at least scare him with some strong pawns, but he’s not scared!
It would ultimately work out more or less O.K., but Howell felt he’d been let off easily: “He actually played it very safe in the end, but he probably could have punished me if he’d been more accurate.”
He probably could have punished me if he’d been more accurate.
—Howell on Banerjee
In the end, a tense clash ended in a draw by threefold repetition in an opposite-colored bishop endgame.
“I’m very patriotic and it’s kind of been my dream to see England do great things again,” said Howell when reflecting on the new wave of English youngsters. He talked about England’s Olympic team:
I’m still the youngest one, and I’m no spring chicken, so it’s really nice to see the youngsters making progress. I don’t want to put too much pressure on their shoulders, but they’re all doing the right things. Supratit, his development over the last 12 months alone is incredible—I just took a quick look at his games and he’s levelled up so much.
Supratit, his development over the last 12 months alone is incredible—I just took a quick look at his games and he’s levelled up so much.
—David Howell
With those two games safely drawn, Howell could get down to trying to win on the remaining two boards.
Howell 1-0 Paragua
Twelve-year-old U.S. star Paragua, who earned the FM title during this year’s Grenke Chess Open, also reached the final of the Under-13 ChessKid Youth Championship. As expected, she put up tough resistance. Despite Howell gaining a clear edge on move 13, Paragua fought her way back into the game, and it was only on move 38 that the English grandmaster gained a winning advantage again—and then move 71 that the game was finally over.
Howell described his last move, 71.Qbf2!, as his best of the day, forcing mate-in-two.
What did he like about it?
It was flashy. I had to triple-check that I wasn’t blundering one of my two queens. I was just doing that for the cameras in the end. It’s hard, I don’t play good moves, Ben, that’s my problem! I just play lots of decent moves and hope that they add up.
I don’t play good moves, Ben, that’s my problem! I just play lots of decent moves and hope they add up.
—David Howell
The last game to end featured the youngest player.
Howell 1-0 Sivanandan
As a nine-year-old, Sivanandan became the youngest player ever to represent an English team at the Olympic level, with Howell commenting:
Bodhana, of course, everyone knows how talented she is! So I’m cautiously optimistic that I’m going to get replaced on the England team soon, and just great to see them doing well, and pushing each other, that’s the main thing—there’s so many more.
Now 10, the young star is getting stronger, but in this game, Howell won a pawn with exchanges starting on move 23, and then did nothing for a while, before pouncing with 57.Nxd5!.
Sivanandan went for the trickiest reply, but there was no way back before she eventually resigned on move 81.
So, without making a single real blunder across all four boards, Howell had won the simul 3-1.
Managed to get the job done! But it was far from easy. These kids are GOOD. 🌟 https://t.co/ZsTgqRjkXX
— David Howell (@DavidHowellGM) July 9, 2025
Howell was asked if he’ll be playing more chess now or if it’s all going to be commentary.
Two hours before the games started, I was like, this is retirement, win or lose, whatever happens in this match, I’m done, but halfway through the games, I was really enjoying it, and now I’m like, give me more chess! I’ll stick to Titled Tuesdays for now. Maybe the British Championship at some point. Maybe the Olympiad, when that comes back, but commentary comes first.
Two hours before the games started I was like, this is retirement, win or lose.
—David Howell
Congratulations to both Howell and his young opponents for what he described as “really interesting games.” Will the Kids manage to hit back next time around?
Kids vs. Stars is an event in which the next generation of prodigies challenges established chess players and celebrities. On July 9, GM David Howell took on IM Marco Materia, FMs Megan Paragua and Supratit Banerjee, and WFM Bodhana Sivanandan in a clock simul where he had 65+15 and the kids had 15+15, with the winning side being the first to 2.5 points.
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