British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has made history at the age of 11 by becoming the youngest player ever to fulfil the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title.
Sivanandan achieved the feat while representing England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where she played on the country’s top board.
The 11-year-old scored eight points from 11 games and secured her third and final WGM norm during the competition. She had already crossed the required 2,300 rating threshold, allowing her to complete the playing requirements for the title.
Her achievement surpasses the previous record held by Kateryna Lagno, who became a Woman Grandmaster at the age of 12 in 2002.
Sivanandan has been setting chess records from a young age. In August, she became Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s Chess Champion after defeating Ireland’s Trisha Kanyamarala in a playoff.
She also became the youngest girl ever to record an International Master norm in July, breaking a record previously held by legendary Hungarian chess player Judit Polgar.
At the latest Olympiad, Sivanandan also secured a second International Master norm, moving closer to the more demanding IM title.
The young chess star has previously represented England at the Chess Olympiad and has defeated grandmasters in classical competition.
Despite earning the WGM requirements, Sivanandan’s ambition extends further. She is targeting the full Grandmaster title, the highest standard title in chess, and has already begun accumulating the qualifications needed for the International Master title.
