Bodhana Sivanandan, an 11-year-old from Britain, has become the youngest woman grandmaster in chess history. She secured the title at the 46th Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, after accumulating eight points across 11 games.

The International Chess Federation officially confirmed Sivanandan's new status after she achieved her third and final 'norm,' a certification indicating performance at an elite level required for the grandmaster title. This achievement surpasses previous record holders Kateryna Lagno and Hou Yifan, who were both 12 when they attained the title in 2002 and 2007, respectively.

Her accomplishment drew praise from Rachel Reeves, former Chancellor, who posted on X, "Huge congratulations Bodhana - a chess superstar and just 11 years old. So pleased to see you continue to progress."

Sivanandan, described as a "generational talent," discovered chess during the COVID-19 pandemic. After finding a chessboard among discarded items, her IT-worker father taught her the basics. She quickly surpassed his skill and honed her abilities through online tutorials.

In addition to chess, Sivanandan plays the violin and piano, and balances these pursuits with her academic studies.

Earlier in the summer, Sivanandan became Britain's youngest Women's Chess Champion, breaking a record set in 1939 by Elaine Pritchard, who was 13 at the time. In a rapid-chess playoff, Sivanandan defeated Trisha Kanyamarala, a 14-year-old Irish talent and the first Irishwoman to hold the Woman Grandmaster title.

Commentator Danny Gormally called Sivanandan, nicknamed "Godhana," "unbelievable, a generational talent." She lost only one match during the competition, to 17-year-old Shreyas Royal, who later won the overall British Championship and became Britain's youngest-ever grandmaster in 2024.

Sivanandan's tournament career began in July 2021 at Harrow Chess Club. Her first major success came in May 2022 at the European Schools Championship, where she won all 24 of her matches and secured three gold medals. She has since competed against players with significantly more experience, becoming the youngest person to avoid defeat against a grandmaster in a competitive game at the European Rapid and Blitz chess tournaments in Croatia.