British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has made history after becoming the youngest player ever to meet the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title at 11 years old.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) confirmed that Sivanandan surpassed the previous record held by Kateryna Lagno, who achieved the title at the age of 12 in 2002.
“It kinda felt very similar to the last one except I was playing on a different board,” she added. Asked what she enjoys most about chess, Sivanandan said,
“Everything, but I like travelling, and because I do full-time school, it links to loads of school subjects, so it’s really useful there as well.”
Her latest achievement adds to an extraordinary year that has already seen her become the youngest-ever winner of the British Women’s Chess Championship.
Sivanandan first took up chess during the 2020 lockdown and has since risen rapidly through the ranks, earning praise from international grandmasters for her composure, pattern recognition and tactical ability.
Despite her historic achievements at such a young age, Sivanandan remains focused on reaching even greater heights, with her ultimate ambition being to continue breaking records and eventually earn the full, open Grandmaster title.
