11-Year-Old Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster In History

British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has shattered world records by becoming the youngest player in history to earn the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title at just 11 years old.

The London schoolgirl achieved her third and final required norm while representing England on board one at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Sivanandan scored eight points across 11 rounds, having already cleared the required 2300 rating threshold before the tournament.

The milestone breaks the previous age record held by Kateryna Lagno, who achieved the title at age 12. Sivanandan, who taught herself to play during the COVID-19 lockdown, also earned her second International Master (IM) norm at the tournament, bringing her closer to the higher, open-gender title.