Full Breakdown
Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Female International Master, Breaking Judit Polgar’s Record
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Achievement
Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan secured her third and final International Master (IM) norm at the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, becoming the youngest female player ever to earn the IM title. At 11 years, 7 months and 16 days, she surpassed the record set by Hungarian grandmaster Judit Polgar in 1988, a milestone that stood for 38 years.
Background & Context
Born in London to parents who migrated from Tamil Nadu, India, Bodhana discovered chess at age five during the COVID-19 lockdown. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the youngest English representative in any sport at nine and defeating a grandmaster in 2025. In 2026 she earned the youngest Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, before adding the British Women’s Chess Championship to her résumé.
Data & Statistics
- Age at IM title: 11 years, 7 months, 16 days.
- FIDE rating after final norm: 2399.4 (just shy of the 2400 threshold required for the open IM rating).
- Norms achieved: Three tournament performances (Dole Open, France; Chess Olympiad; European Club Cup).
- All-time ranking: Seventh-youngest International Master overall, joining a list that includes Javokhir Sindarov and D Gukesh.
- Performance at European Club Cup: Scored 5.5/7 on Board 1 for the “She Plays to Win Lionesses” team; victories included a 32-move win over Sweden’s Woman International Master Viktoria Johansson.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I can only describe Bodhana as a generational talent. There was no limit to what she can achieve.” — Director, of International Chess
On-the-Ground Reports
During the tournament, Sivanandan narrowly avoided a draw against former world-title challenger GM Aleksandra Goryachkina in round 1, then defeated Belarusian International Master Olga Badelka in round 3, raising her rating to 2399.4. A subsequent draw against Georgian Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili kept her on track, and the decisive win over Viktoria Johansson secured the historic norm.
What’s Next
Bodhana has publicly expressed the ambition to attain the Grandmaster title soon, stating she hopes to achieve that milestone in the near future. Her rapid progression suggests she will target the required 2500 rating and the three Grandmaster norms in upcoming international events.