Bodhana Sivanandan Sets Historic World Chess Record
11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan has made history by becoming the youngest female International Master in chess, breaking a 38-year-old world record.
Imagine outsmarting top champions on a chequered board before even finishing middle school! On Friday, October 23, 2026, an eleven-year-old girl made world sports history in the coastal town of Budva, Montenegro. Bodhana Sivanandan, a brilliant young player with family roots in Tamil Nadu, completed all requirements to become the youngest female International Master in the history of chess.
By earning this title at just 11 years, 7 months, and 16 days of age, she wrote her name into the history books. The thrilling Bodhana Sivanandan chess record was achieved at the European Club Cup tournament, delighting chess fans and young learners around the globe.
What happened?
Bodhana was playing on board one for her team, named She Plays To Win Lionesses A. Throughout the tournament, she faced tough, experienced players from different countries. In the seventh and final round, she played against Sweden’s Woman International Master Viktoria Johansson. Bodhana showed calm nerves and great tactical skill, winning the game in just 32 moves!
That important victory earned Bodhana her third and final International Master norm. Over the entire competition, she earned an outstanding score of 5.5 points out of 7, performing at a rating level of 2465. Her fine display pushed her official rating past the 2400 Elo mark, which is needed to claim the open title.
With this achievement, Bodhana broke a 38-year-old world record that had stood since 1988. The previous record was set by Hungarian chess legend Judit Polgár, who earned the title when she was 12 years old. Looking at all players in history, both male and female, Bodhana is now the seventh-youngest International Master ever.
Bodhana lives in Harrow in north London and is currently a Class 6 student. Her parents trace their roots back to Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, India. Her chess adventure started when she was five years old during the 2020 pandemic after discovering a chessboard at home that a family friend had given to her father. Following her historic win, Bodhana said she was very happy with the milestone and already aims to become a full Grandmaster soon.
Why does it matter to you?
Have you ever felt you were too young to take on a big challenge? Bodhana’s journey proves that your age never limits what you can do. When you practice regularly and truly enjoy your hobbies, you can accomplish wonderful things.
Whether your passion is solving maths puzzles, coding computer programmes, or playing sports, hard work brings exciting results. Bodhana showed boys and girls everywhere that young minds can think strategically, solve complex problems, and compete with the finest players in the world.
Words to know
- International Master: a prestigious title awarded to top-level chess players by the world chess organisation.
- Grandmaster: the highest traditional title a chess player can achieve, ranking above International Master.
- Norm: a high-level tournament score required to earn an official international chess title.
- Elo rating: a mathematical scoring system used in chess to calculate how strong a player is.
- Prodigy: a young person with exceptional talent or skill in a particular area.
Did you know?
Bodhana started learning chess only at age five after spotting an unused board in her home. In just over six years, she went from learning how the pieces move to breaking a world record that had stood for nearly four decades!
Think about it
If you could learn any new sport or skill this year, what would you choose? What steps can you take every day to practice and become better at it?
Quick quiz
Whose 38-year-old world record did Bodhana Sivanandan break to become the youngest female International Master?
- Judit Polgár
- Viktoria Johansson
- Viswanathan Anand
See the answer
Judit Polgár
Sources
This story was prepared by the Kids Gazette news desk with the help of AI research and writing tools, using the sources listed above.
