Eleven year old Indian-origin chess player Bodhana Sivanandan, who represents England, has become the youngest player ever to earn the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title. She secured her third and final WGM norm while playing on England's top board at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, which concluded on September 27.
Sivanandan played all 11 rounds and finished with eight points. Her performance also earned her a second International Master (IM) norm, bringing her closer to the open IM title, which is a gender-neutral title and can be earned by players of any gender.
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Sivanandan told the International Chess Federation (FIDE), “I'm happy to do it, but I want to keep going and keep making history as well, instead of just stopping here.”
The WGM title is the highest chess title exclusively designated for female players and is awarded for life. Sivanandan's achievement surpassed the previous age record held by Kateryna Lagno.
Who Is Bodhana Sivanandan?
Born and raised in London, Sivanandan lives in Harrow and remains a full-time primary school student. Her parents moved to the United Kingdom from Tiruchirappalli, India, in 2007. Her school has reportedly provided flexibility to allow her to balance her education with an increasingly demanding international chess schedule.
Her journey into chess began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a family friend gave her a chessboard along with toys and books. At just five years old, she taught herself the basic moves by watching online tutorials and YouTube videos. Her rapid progress soon turned her into one of Britain's most promising young chess players.
At nine, Sivanandan became the youngest person to represent England internationally in any sport. She later added another major achievement by becoming Britain's youngest-ever Women's Chess Champion at the 2026 British Chess Championships.
Despite becoming the youngest female player to achieve the WGM milestone, Sivanandan has indicated that she does not intend to stop there. Following her achievement, she said she wants to “keep going and keep making history,” signalling ambitions beyond the record she has already set.
"In one of the bags, I saw a chessboard, and I was interested in the pieces. I wanted to use the pieces as toys. Instead, my dad said that I could play the game, and then I started from there," she told the BBC.
Speaking to the BBC in an earlier interview, her father noted that no one else in their family possessed such a remarkable aptitude for chess.
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