British chess prodigy, 11, becomes youngest woman grandmaster in history

A British chess prodigy has said she wants to "keep making history" after becoming the youngest player in history to qualify for the title of woman grandmaster.

Bodhana Sivanandan, 11 and from Harrow, won the title after fulfilling her third and final qualifier while representing England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Now, the schoolgirl is aiming for a full grandmaster title, with her latest win bringing her a step closer to the title. "I want to keep going and keep making history as well, instead of just stopping here," she told the International Chess Federation (Fide) in an interview on Sunday.

Fide confirmed Ms Sivanandan is now the youngest player ever to qualify for the woman grandmaster (WGM) title, which is the highest woman-only rank a player can attain, and one which is held for life.

Playing on England’s top board against leading international talent, the chess prodigy collected eight points over the course of 11 games, delivering a performance that sealed her record-breaking status.

The previous record was set in 2002 by Kateryna Lagno, who achieved the title at the age of 12.

China's Hou Yifan also earned the WGM title at 12 in 2007, before going on to become the youngest overall grandmaster in history a year later.

For Ms Sivanandan, the milestone is the latest in a rapid sequence of achievements, where in 2023, she became the youngest player to avoid defeat against a grandmaster in a competitive game at the European Rapid and Blitz tournaments in Croatia.

The schoolgirl was selected to join England's Olympiad squad in 2024, before going on to become the youngest female to win the British Women’s Championship in Coventry.

Former chancellor Rachel Reeves has been among those to recognise Ms Sivanandan’s achievement. In a post on X, she wrote: “Huge congratulations Bodhana – a chess superstar and just 11 years old. So pleased to see you continue to progress.”

Speaking to Fide, the winner added: "I like everything [about chess]... and I like travelling and also, because I do full-time school as well, it links to loads of school subjects, so it's really useful there as well."

The schoolgirl’s journey into competitive chess began during the Covid-19 lockdowns after she discovered an old board in a bag her father had been meaning to throw out.

Drawn initially to the physical shapes of the pieces, Ms Sivanandan initially wanted to use them as toys, before teaching herself the rules of the game through YouTube tutorials.

She entered her first tournament in July 2021, playing at Harrow Chess Club. At the age of seven, the prodigy had already competed at the European Schools Championship, winning all of her 24 matches.

Now tipped by commentators as a generational talent, Ms Sivanandan's latest record adds to a growing list of historic milestones, positioning her as a promising figure in modern chess.