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Harrow schoolgirl Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, becomes the youngest 'woman grandmaster' in chess history

From the Newshound archive · first published 29 September 2026 · last updated 30 September 2026.

Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest woman grandmaster in chess history at 11, finishing the 46th Chess Olympiad on eight points across all 11 rounds.
Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest woman grandmaster in chess history at 11, finishing the 46th Chess Olympiad on eight points across all 11 rounds.

Bodhana Sivanandan picked up a chessboard at age five during Covid lockdown after a family friend left one behind — and on Sunday completed her third and final Woman Grandmaster norm at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, smashing a record that had stood for over two decades. Playing all 11 rounds on England's top board, she scored eight points and told FIDE she intends to 'keep making history'. The previous record belonged to Kateryna Lagno, who earned the title at 12.

Sivanandan taught herself the rules from YouTube tutorials at five; by seven she had won all 24 games at the European Schools Championship.

She also earned her second International Master norm in Samarkand, moving her closer to the open-gender title held by players of both sexes.

'Not really, I just tried to enjoy it,' she said when asked whether playing on the top board added pressure.

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