Indian-British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan makes history at 11

London schoolgirl Bodhana Sivanandan has broken the record for being the youngest player to meet the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title at just 11 years old. Sivanandan, who is of Indian origin but was born and raised in London, achieved this milestone by representing England at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

FIDE confirmed her historic achievement during the tournament, which concluded on September 27. Sivanandan secured her third and final WGM norm during the event, finishing with eight points on the top board and earning a second International Master (IM) norm in the process. This accomplishment puts her ahead of the previous record holder, Russian-born Kateryna Lagno, who achieved the WGM title at 12.

Former world champion Hou Yifan of China also previously held the record, achieving the WGM title at 12, but later became the youngest woman to earn the full Grandmaster title at 14. Sivanandan's family has roots in India, with her father moving from Trichy, Tamil Nadu, to Britain in 2007. She discovered her passion for chess during the Covid-19 lockdown and has since rapidly progressed in the sport.

In August, Sivanandan became Britain's youngest-ever women's chess champion at the 2026 British Chess Championships, further cementing her remarkable year.