sport 28 September 2026 Nile Post
11-Year-Old Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster in History
British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, aged 11, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the youngest woman to earn the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title. She secured this prestigious rank at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/374050/british-chess-prodigy-11-becomes-youngest-woman-grandmaster
Bodhana Sivanandan, an 11-year-old chess phenom from North-West London, has officially become the youngest Woman Grandmaster (WGM) in chess history. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) confirmed her achievement after she secured her third and final WGM norm while competing for England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Sivanandan’s journey to this title has been marked by a series of remarkable accomplishments. She has already been recognized as Britain’s youngest women’s chess champion and holds the distinction of being the youngest person to represent England internationally across any sport.
During the Olympiad, Sivanandan played on England’s top board for all 11 rounds, accumulating an impressive eight points. She had already surpassed the required 2300 rating threshold for the WGM title before securing her final norm.
She expressed her ambition to FIDE, stating, “I’m happy to do it, but I want to keep going and keep making history as well, instead of just stopping here.” This achievement surpasses the previous age record held by Kateryna Lagno and Hou Yifan, both of whom earned the title at age 12.
Beyond the WGM title, Sivanandan also earned her second International Master (IM) norm at the Olympiad, moving her closer to the higher open Grandmaster title. While the WGM title is the highest female-only distinction, the IM title ranks higher and is open to all genders.
Sivanandan taught herself chess during the COVID-19 lockdown and entered her first tournament in 2021. Her rapid ascent includes winning all 24 games at the European Schools Championship in 2022 and becoming the youngest player to avoid defeat against a grandmaster in a competitive game.
In 2023, at just 10 years old, she became the youngest female player to defeat a grandmaster at the British Chess Championships. Her recent performances also include earning her first IM norm at the Dole Open in France and defeating a grandmaster rated over 2600 in a classical game.
This incredible feat was achieved by Bodhana Sivanandan, as reported by Nile Post.