11-Year-Old Schoolgirl Becomes Youngest Woman Grandmaster in Chess History

At just 11 years old, British chess player Bodhana Sivanandan has made history after becoming the youngest player ever to earn the Woman Grandmaster title.

Sivanandan achieved the milestone while representing England at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. She played all 11 rounds on England’s top board and finished the tournament with eight points.

Her performance earned the final norm required for the Woman Grandmaster title, which is awarded by the International Chess Federation, known as FIDE. She broke the previous age record held by players who had achieved the title at 12.

The achievement is another milestone in a remarkable rise that began when Sivanandan was only five. Her father introduced her to chess after a family friend gave her a chessboard during the COVID-19 lockdown.

She quickly became fascinated by the game and began learning through online tutorials. Within a year, she was already able to beat her father, who had introduced her to chess.

Her progress continued rapidly. At seven, she won five games against six members of her local chess club. At eight, she defeated former British champion Peter Lee.

In August 2026, Sivanandan became Britain’s youngest-ever women’s chess champion. She also became the youngest person ever selected to represent England in any sport.

Her performance in Uzbekistan brought another achievement as well. Sivanandan earned her second International Master norm, moving her closer to the open International Master title.

Despite her growing reputation, Sivanandan continues to attend school in north London. After returning from the Chess Olympiad, she went back to school and faced the ordinary challenge of catching up on lessons after missing classes for the tournament.

She has also said that she wants to continue improving rather than simply celebrating the records she has already broken.

Her latest achievement has placed her among the most closely watched young players in international chess. At 11, Sivanandan is already balancing full-time education with elite competition and a growing list of records.

For now, her goal remains straightforward: keep playing, keep learning and see how far she can go.

Sources

• FIDE — October 1, 2026.
• The Guardian — October 1–2, 2026.
• BBC Newsround — September 29, 2026.