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11-year-old British-Indian Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest woman grandmaster (WGM) in history at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Bodhana Sivanandan (PTI)
Bodhana Sivanandan, an 11-year-old British-Indian girl, has become the youngest woman grandmaster (WGM) in history at the age of 11.
The England international reached the milestone following her impressive campaign at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, which concluded on Sunday. Sivanandan was playing in her second Olympiad and featured on the top board for England.
The youngster, who has already established herself as one of the biggest names in junior chess, said she was not looking at the latest achievement as the end of her journey.
“I’m happy to do it, but I want to keep going and keep making history as well, instead of just stopping here,” Sivanandan told the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in an interview released on Sunday.
Playing on the top board could have brought added pressure, but Sivanandan said she approached the tournament in the same way she would any other event.
“Not really, I just tried to enjoy it,” she said when asked about the pressure of playing on the top board.
Her first Olympiad appearance came in 2024, when she made history as the youngest person to represent England in any sport at an international tournament.
In the open category, China’s Hou Yifan remains the youngest Grandmaster (GM), achieving it at the age of 14 years and 5 months in 2008.
Early beginnings
Sivanandan’s connection with chess began almost by chance during the Covid-19 pandemic. She was five when she discovered a chessboard among toys and books that a friend of her father had given the family.
Her father, an IT professional, initially knew only the basics of the game but began teaching her after she became fascinated by the pieces. Her interest quickly developed into competitive success.
Sivanandan won three gold medals at the 2022 European Schools Championship after recording 24 victories from 24 games. The following year, she became a women’s candidate master after crossing a FIDE rating of 2,000.
She broke another record in August 2025 when she defeated 60-year-old grandmaster Peter Wells at the British Chess Championships. At 10 years, five months and three days, she became the youngest female player to defeat a grandmaster, surpassing the previous mark held by American Carissa Yip.
She is already the UK Open Women’s Blitz Champion and joint British Women’s Rapid Champion.
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Ask News18The 11-year-old British-Indian chess prodigy secured the milestone after an impressive campaign playing on the top board for England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Ask News18September 28, 2026, 21:47 IST
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