Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History

At the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan secured her third Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm, meeting the 2,300 rating threshold and earning a second International Master (IM) norm. Playing on England’s top board for all 11 rounds, she finished with eight points. FIDE confirmed she is now the youngest ever holder of the WGM title, surpassing Kateryna Lagno’s previous record.

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Sivanandan first encountered chess during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown when a friend of her father left a chessboard at their home in Harrow, London. Largely self-taught via YouTube, she entered her first tournament at Harrow Chess Club in July 2021. By age seven she won all 24 games at the European Schools Championship, and at nine she became the youngest person to represent England internationally in any sport. In August 2025 she defeated Grandmaster Peter Wells at the British Chess Championships, breaking the record for the youngest female player to beat a grandmaster.

BBC News‘I Want to Keep Making History’: How Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, Became the Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster Indian-origin Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest Woman Grandmaster in chess history Bodhana Sivanandan becomes the youngest woman grandmaster CNNBodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History The Independent

• July 2021 – First tournament at Harrow Chess Club.

BBC News

• 2024 – Selected for England’s Olympiad squad, the youngest English international representative.

Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster

• August 2025 – Defeated GM Peter Wells.

Indian-origin Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest Woman Grandmaster in chess history

• July 2026 – Earned first IM norm at the Dole Open in France.

Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History

• September 2026 – Completed third WGM norm at the Olympiad and officially earned the title.

Indian-origin Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest Woman Grandmaster in chess history

• Rating after Olympiad: 2,382.

‘I Want to Keep Making History’: How Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, Became the Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History

• Olympiad score: 8/11 on board 1.

‘I Want to Keep Making History’: How Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, Became the Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History

• Norms achieved: Three WGM norms and two IM norms.

Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History

• Future rating targets: 2,400 for IM status; 2,500 for open Grandmaster status.

BBC News

FIDE announced that Sivanandan’s performance satisfied all criteria for the WGM title, noting her eight-point score as “a certified title-level performance.” The English Chess Federation highlighted her selection at age nine as the youngest English international representative in any sport. Her father, Sivanandan Velayutham, an IT professional, expressed cautious support for her continued focus on chess.

Indian-origin Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest Woman Grandmaster in chess history

• “I’m happy to do it, but I want to keep going and keep making history as well, instead of just stopping here,” — Bodhana Sivanandan

CNN

• “I don’t think it is the right time for her to have a phone.” — S. Velayutham

The Guardian

Sivanandan’s record sets a new benchmark for women’s chess, showing elite performance can be achieved at a pre-teen age. Analysts note her rapid accumulation of norms places her close to the open International Master title and, potentially, the Grandmaster title. Her success has attracted sponsors, including Turkish investor Evren Üçok and the John Robinson Youth Chess Trust.

Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History

The family is evaluating participation in the London Chess Classic, scheduled for late November, pending school commitments and the availability of her younger twin sisters. Sivanandan aims to secure additional IM norms and ultimately pursue the open Grandmaster title.

Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History