Meet Bodhana Sivanandan, the British chess prodigy who defeated a grandmaster and earned the Woman International Master title

Great talent can come at any age and the chess world has witnessed a great example of this in Bodhana Sivanandan.The 11-year-old British-Indian chess prodigy from Harrow, north west London, has been making headlines around the world after a series of record-breaking achievements including beating a grandmaster and winning prestigious international chess titles as a schoolboy.

What’s especially remarkable about her ascent is that she started playing chess during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, almost by accident.Within a few years she had gone from learning the game at home to representing England at the Chess Olympiad and playing some of the strongest players in the world.

From Childhood Discovery to International Chess Success

The lockdown due to COVID-19 was when Bodhana started playing chess. Her family received toys and books as a gift from a friend. One of the items was a chess set and it immediately caught her eye.While she was mostly interested in the pieces as toys, she became interested in the game after her father explained how they could be used to play chess.


She learned to play chess by watching YouTube videos, not from a formal teacher. Her advancement was rapid, and she soon became better at the game than her father. Although both her parents are trained engineers, neither was especially skilled at chess.

Bodhana entered her first tournament at Harrow Chess Club in July 2021. An early sign of her talent was winning every game she played at the European Schools Championship at the age of seven.

Series of records at astoundingly young age

As Bodhana accumulated experience in competitive chess, her achievements kept on growing. Reportedly, in 2024, aged just nine, she was chosen to represent England at the Chess Olympiad, becoming the youngest person to represent England in any sport.

She subsequently gained the spotlight by becoming the youngest female player to defeat a grandmaster in a chess tournament. The win came against grandmaster Pete Wells when she was 10 years, five months and three days old.

At the age of 10, she also became the youngest female player to receive the Woman International Master (WIM) title, including another milestone to her growing list of achievements.

In August, she became the Women's British Chess Champion. Her accomplishments have established her as one of the most promising young players in British chess, with her advancement attracting attention in both the United Kingdom and India.

Making history at Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan .

Bodhana hit another major milestone at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Representing England, she played on the top board, a place reserved for the team's leading player.

Her performance at the Olympiad proved decisive. Bodhana won six games, drew four and lost just one, securing the third and final WGM norm required to complete the title requirements.

As per FIDE and Guinness World Records, the accomplishment made her the youngest player in history to receive the Woman Grandmaster title at the age of 11. Guinness World Records subsequently recognised her achievement.

Her record surpassed the previous benchmark held by Kateryna Lagno, who became a Woman Grandmaster at 12 years and four months.

Woman Grandmaster title

Bodhana's achievement is especially remarkable because she completed the requirements before turning 12. Her latest record is also her third Guinness World Records title, after her recognition for earning the Woman International Master title at age 10 and for defeating a grandmaster at a record-young age.

From WGM to International Master

Bodhana has bigger goals than the records she has already broken.Her next goal is to attain the International Master (IM) title which requires a rating of 2,400 and the requisite norms.

She has made it clear that she intends to remain developing her game and pursuing higher levels of accomplishment. Speaking to FIDE, she stated, “I want to keep going,” and added, “And keep making history.”

The International Master title would represent another significant step in her competitive career, while the grandmaster title remains a further goal.

Also Read: Meet Aaryan Shukla, the mental-maths prodigy recognised among the world's young achievers for his extraordinary calculating skills

A rising name in British and Indian chess

Bodhana has family roots in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, giving her accomplishments significance for chess followers in both Britain and India. Her victory has also added to a generation of young English players attracting attention for their performances at an international level.

Bodhana's record-breaking accomplishments have come before her 12th birthday, but her journey is still developing. Her ability to move forward in such a competitive sport has been amazing -- from finding chess in a pile of toys and books to earning international recognition at the Olympiad.

Source: Business Today and NewsForKids.net