What started with a borrowed chessboard has now rewritten the history books.
Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old from London, just became the youngest person ever to win the Woman International Master title in chess after a dazzling victory at the British Chess Championships in Liverpool on Aug. 10.
The International Chess Federation announced the milestone on X, celebrating the moment: “British sensation Bodhana Sivanandan has made history by becoming the youngest female chess player ever to beat a grandmaster!”
And it wasn’t just any win. Bodhana “pulled off the win” against none other than 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells in the final round. Grandmaster is the highest title in the game, held for life, while Bodhana’s new Woman International Master rank is the second-highest title for women, just behind Woman Grandmaster.
Her record-setting triumph at 10 years, five months, and three days old beats the previous record held by American player Carissa Yip, who achieved the title at 10 years, 11 months, and 20 days back in 2019.
But for Bodhana, chess is about more than titles and trophies. “I was interested in the pieces so I started playing,” she told the BBC, sharing that the game makes her feel “good” and even helps with “lots of other things like maths, how to calculate.”
Her journey started unexpectedly during the pandemic, when a family friend left a chessboard at her house before moving away. Neither of her parents are chess players, her dad even admitted: “I’m an engineering graduate, as is my wife, but I’m not good at chess. I tried a couple of league games, but I was very poor.”
Despite going up against opponents often decades older, Bodhana remains unshaken. At Trafalgar Square’s ChessFest in 2024, she put it simply: “I don’t really notice who I’m playing. I just play the board.”
The young prodigy practices about an hour each day after school and spends weekends sharpening her skills in tournaments. And her wisdom matches her talent: “My advice to those wanting to learn is that if you lose a game, you should try and learn from it.”
From pandemic pastime to historic prodigy, Bodhana Sivanandan is proving that age is no match for brilliance.
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