11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest female grandmaster in history

Bodhana Sivanandan, an 11-year-old from Harrow, north London, became the youngest woman grandmaster ever after scoring eight points in eleven rounds at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The International Chess Federation validated her third norm, eclipsing the prior record of Kateryna Lagno (age 12 in 2002) and Hou Yifan (age 12 in 2007). Earlier this summer she claimed the British Women’s Chess Championship, beating 14-year-old Trisha Kanyamarala in a rapid playoff, while also competing in the overall British championship where 17-year-old Shreyas Royal won.

Her father, Sivandan Velayutham, introduced her to chess during the pandemic, and she honed her skills via YouTube; she also studies violin and piano alongside schoolwork. Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves congratulated her publicly, and commentators described her as a generational talent. Experts note she must first become an international master before pursuing the full grandmaster title.