Bodhana Sivanandan: 11 Year Old Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster

Bodhana Sivanandan: At just 11 years old, Bodhana Sivanandan has achieved a landmark feat in chess. The Indian origin player representing England has become the youngest player ever to fulfill the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title. She secured her third and final WGM norm during the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Bodhana played all 11 rounds on England’s first board at the Olympiad and finished with eight points. She had already crossed the required 2,300 rating mark, meaning the final norm was the remaining requirement for the WGM title.

Her latest achievement adds another record to a remarkable rise that began when she was still a young child. During the Covid lockdown, she received a chessboard among some gifts from a family friend who was returning to India. That simple gift sparked her interest in the game.

Bodhana, who lives in north west London, quickly developed into one of England’s most promising young players. By the age of nine, she had already represented England at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, becoming the youngest person ever selected for an England team in any sport at the time.

Her progress has continued at a remarkable pace. In 2025, she became the youngest girl to earn a Woman International Master title, and she also made headlines after defeating a grandmaster in the British Chess Championship.

Earlier this year, Bodhana moved to the top of the English women’s chess rankings. At the time, the English Chess Federation said the 11 year old had also broken into the world’s top 100 women players.

The Samarkand Olympiad provided another major moment in her career. Playing on the top board against some of the strongest players in the competition, she produced a consistent performance and collected her final WGM norm. She also secured a second International Master norm during the tournament.

Bodhana has made it clear that she does not want this record to be the end of her journey. After reaching the milestone, she told FIDE that she wanted to continue improving and keep making history. Her next long term target is the full Grandmaster title, a considerably tougher achievement.

For now, the 11 year old has already secured her place in chess history. Her rise from discovering the game during lockdown to leading England on the top board at an international Olympiad has been remarkably quick.