Who Is Bodhana Sivanandan? 11-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Makes History As Youngest Woman Grandmaster

Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan scripted chess history on Sunday by becoming the youngest Woman Grandmaster (WGM) of all time. The milestone was achieved while representing England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The event was held from September 15-27. During the tournament, the Indian-origin chess prodigy played all 11 rounds on England's top board, which is a position assigned to the team's top player, and finished with eight points on Sunday.

According to the BBC, a woman grandmaster is the highest female-only title in the chess world and is held for life. Speaking after the event, Sivanandan said that she just wants to "keep making history".

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"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.

On being asked if she felt any pressure, she said, "Not really, I just tried to enjoy it."

She added that this was her second Olympiad. "It kind of felt very similar to the last one except I was playing on a different board," she said.

The win in Uzbekistan has earned her a second International Master (IM) norm, which takes her another step closer to becoming an international master.

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How She Discovered Chess

According to the BBC, Bodhana's journey with chess started almost by accident during the COVID-19 pandemic when a family friend gave some toys, books, and a chessboard.

Curious about the game, five-year-old Bodhana taught herself how they moved using online tutorials and YouTube videos.

"In one of the bags, I saw a chessboard, and I was interested in the pieces," she told the BBC. "I wanted to use the pieces as toys. Instead, my dad said that I could play the game, and then I started from there."

Her father told the BBC in 2024 that "nobody at all" in their family had this kind of brilliance in playing chess.

Sivanandan was born and brought up in London. She lives in Harrow. But according to reports, her parents moved from Tiruchirappalli, India, to the United Kingdom in 2007.

Despite her rapid rise, Bodhana remains a full-time primary school student. Her school provides flexible schedules so she can travel for international chess events.