British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has made history at just 11 years old, becoming the youngest player ever to earn the Woman Grandmaster title. The London schoolgirl reached the milestone while representing England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, adding another major achievement to an already remarkable chess career.
A Historic Performance for England
Sivanandan represented England at the Chess Olympiad, competing on the team’s top board against some of the strongest players from other countries.
Across 11 games, she earned eight points and secured her third and final Woman Grandmaster norm. She had already passed the required rating threshold, allowing her to complete the requirements for the prestigious title.
Woman Grandmaster, commonly shortened to WGM, is the highest female-only title awarded by the International Chess Federation, known as FIDE.
Despite making history, Sivanandan is already focused on what comes next.
“I’m happy to do it, but I want to keep going and keep making history as well, instead of just stopping here,” Sivanandan said.
Breaking a Long-Standing Chess Record
Sivanandan’s achievement breaks a record that had stood for more than two decades.
Kateryna Lagno previously held the record after earning the Woman Grandmaster title at age 12 in 2002. Chinese chess star Hou Yifan also became a Woman Grandmaster at 12 before later earning the higher open Grandmaster title at 14.
Sivanandan has now achieved the WGM title at only 11, placing her ahead of both players in terms of age when the title was earned.
Her performance in Uzbekistan also brought her another important achievement. She secured her second International Master norm, leaving her one norm closer to qualifying for the open International Master title.
Staying Calm on Chess’ Top Board
Playing on board one meant Sivanandan regularly faced the strongest member of each opposing team. However, the responsibility did not appear to bother the 11-year-old.
When asked whether she felt pressure playing on the top board, Sivanandan said, “Not really, I just tried to enjoy it.”
This was her second appearance at a Chess Olympiad after making her debut for England in 2024.
“It kind of felt very similar to the last one except I was playing on a different board,” she said.
Her first appearance had already made history. At nine years old, Sivanandan became the youngest person to represent England internationally in any sport.
From a Chessboard at Home to World Records
Sivanandan’s journey into chess began almost by accident during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When she was five years old, one of her father’s friends left the family some belongings before moving to India. Among them was a chessboard that caught her attention.
“In one of the bags, I saw a chessboard, and I was interested in the pieces,” Sivanandan previously said.
“I wanted to use the pieces as toys. Instead, my dad said that I could play the game, and then I started from there.”
That simple introduction quickly developed into an extraordinary talent. Sivanandan began competing in tournaments and collecting records while still attending school full-time.
Chess Success Continues to Grow
Her Woman Grandmaster title is only the latest achievement in a rapidly growing list.
In 2025, Sivanandan became the youngest female player to defeat a grandmaster when she beat Grandmaster Peter Wells at the British Chess Championships at just 10 years old.
She later became Britain’s youngest Women’s Chess Champion and continued climbing through the international chess rankings.
Despite travelling around the world for competitions, Sivanandan continues to attend school full-time. She believes chess can even help with her education.
“It links to loads of school subjects so it’s really useful there as well,” she said.
A Bigger Goal Still Ahead
Becoming the youngest Woman Grandmaster in history represents another major step in Sivanandan’s rise, but she has made it clear that she does not see the record as the finish line.
With two International Master norms already secured and years of development ahead of her, the 11-year-old continues to pursue higher titles while balancing international competition with school.
From discovering a chessboard during the pandemic to making history on the international stage, Sivanandan’s rapid rise has already rewritten several records. Now, the young British star is focused on continuing her progress and seeing just how far her chess career can go.
