By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-28 08:30:48 | Updated at 2026-09-29 10:48:56
1 day ago
A schoolgirl from Harrow in northwest London has made chess history, becoming the youngest player ever to earn the woman grandmaster title at 11.
Bodhana Sivanandan clinched the record yesterday whilst competing for England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where she obtained her third and final qualifying norm.
Her accomplishment surpasses the previous benchmark set by Kateryna Lagno, who earned the woman grandmaster designation at 12 years old back in 2002.
Lagno, who has played internationally for both Russia and Ukraine, had held the record for more than two decades.
The International Chess Federation, responsible for organising the Olympiad, verified Sivanandan's performance rating qualified her for the woman grandmaster title.
Sivanandan's path to chess stardom began during the coronavirus lockdown when she came across an old chessboard at her family home in Harrow.
She has previously explained: "I was fascinated by how the pieces looked, especially the knight and the queen, and I wanted to use them as toys outside of chess."
Without formal instruction, she learnt the game by viewing YouTube tutorials and quickly developed her skills to the point where she could defeat her father, Sivanandan Velayutham, an IT professional.
Her competitive debut came in July 2021 when she participated in a tournament at Harrow Chess Club. Just 12 months later, at the European Schools Championship, she delivered a flawless performance by winning all 24 of her matches at the age of seven.
Beyond chess, the young prodigy maintains a busy schedule that includes academic studies along with learning the violin and piano.
At the Olympiad, Sivanandan competed on England's top board where she faced some of the world's leading chess players. Over the course of 11 games, she accumulated eight points, a performance that secured her historic achievement, The Times reports.
Experts in the chess world have made bold predictions about her future potential, with some suggesting she could develop into the greatest player the country has ever produced.
Hou Yifan holds the record as the youngest woman to obtain the full grandmaster title
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Former chancellor Rachel Reeves joined those celebrating the achievement, posting on X: "Huge congratulations Bodhana a chess superstar and just 11 years old. So pleased to see you continue to progress."
The milestone represents another chapter in what has been a rapid ascent through competitive chess for the Harrow schoolgirl, who only began playing the game five years ago.
Earlier this year, Sivanandan claimed another distinction by winning the British Women's Championship in Coventry, becoming the youngest female player to capture that title.
Following that victory, she articulated her long-term aspirations, stating: "I'm happy about the title but I want to keep going for more in the future. I want to become a [full] grandmaster as soon as possible."
Her performance in Samarkand brought her closer to that ambition, as she also secured a second international master norm during the competition.
This moves her further along the progression path in chess rankings.
The full grandmaster title represents a higher achievement than the woman grandmaster designation, with female players advancing from woman international master to woman grandmaster before competing with male players for international master status and ultimately grandmaster.
Hou Yifan from China currently holds the record as the youngest woman to obtain the full grandmaster title, which she accomplished in 2008 at 14 years old.
