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11-Year-Old Bodhana Sivanandan Poised to Shatter Judit Polgar’s Age Record
By Drooid · · How we work
Record-Breaking Quest at the European Club Cup
Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan entered the European Club Cup needing just a few rating points to qualify for an open International Master (IM) title and to eclipse Judit Polgar’s 38-year-old record as the youngest female IM. After a near-draw with former world-title challenger GM Aleksandra Goryachkina in round 1 and a win over an International Master in round 3, her rating rose to 2399.4, shy of the 2400 threshold. In round 4 she salvaged a draw from a winning position against GM Nino Batsiashvili (rated 2426). A victory against a 2034-rated opponent or a draw with a 2116-rated opponent in the final round on Friday would secure her third IM norm and the record-breaking title.
Performance Highlights and Competition Context
Sivanandan’s results placed her among the ten youngest 2400-rated players ever, a group that includes Russian prodigy Roman Shogdzhiev (born 2015) and Uzbek star Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Shogdzhiev, also chasing a world-age record for Grandmaster status, has already earned two of the three required GM norms and is on track to surpass Abhimanyu Mishra’s record before his 12th birthday in February 2027.
Parallel Stories from the Same Event
The same European Club Cup featured IM Richard Pert’s career-best win over GM Jorden van Foreest (rated 2716, world No 24). Pert, a 45-year-old ECF national coach, entered the final round with a perfect 6/6 score. His team, Cheddleton Savills Catering, entered the tournament seeded 16th and now faces Israeli champions Rishon LeZion, whose top board is former world-title challenger Boris Gelfand.
Implications for Youth Chess Development
Sivanandan’s near-record run underscores the accelerating pace at which young players achieve elite titles, a trend amplified by intensive coaching networks and “norm factories” that organize norm-eligible tournaments across Europe and Asia. Her potential record would highlight the growing prominence of female prodigies in a historically male-dominated hierarchy.
Upcoming Events
The London Chess Classic is scheduled to return from 25 November to 4 December, offering further high-level competition for emerging talents.