Imagine becoming one of the world's top chess players before finishing middle school! For Bodhana Sivanandan, an 11-year-old from northwest London, England, this is already a reality. On September 26, 2026, she became the youngest person ever to earn the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title. The record was previously held by Kateryna Lagno, who was 12 when she won the title in 2002.
The WGM title is one of the highest honors in chess. To get it, a player must reach a chess rating of at least 2,300 points. This score is earned through strong performances in official matches. Players must also meet certain requirements in three qualifying tournaments to achieve what are called norms.
Bodhana's chess journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when she was just five years old. A friend of her father gave the family a bag of toys and books. Inside, Bodhana discovered a chessboard and became curious about the game. Her father encouraged her to learn, and she quickly developed a passion for it.
Her talent became very clear early on. At age seven, she won all 24 of her games at the European Schools Championship, earning three gold medals. Two years later, she was selected to represent England at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Hungary. Bodhana was the youngest person ever to compete for England in any international sporting competition.
In 2025, the chess phenom made further history when she defeated Grandmaster (GM) Peter Wells at the British Chess Championships. At just 10 years old, she was the youngest girl to beat a GM in a classical chess game.
Bodhana continued to reach new heights in 2026. In August, she became the youngest-ever British women's chess champion. The following month, Bodhana competed at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand as England's top player. She played in all 11 rounds of the tournament, winning six games, drawing four, and losing just one. Her performance earned her the third and final WGM norm, completing the requirements for her record-breaking title.
The 11-year-old hopes to eventually earn the GM title, which is open to players of any gender. When not playing chess, Bodhana is just a regular middle school student who enjoys playing the piano and violin, as well as reading.
Resources: BBC.com, CNN.com, theguardian.com
