At just 10 years old, Bodhana Sivanandan has rewritten the record books of a game often defined by patience, calculation, and decades of experience. This month, Bodhana became the youngest-ever female International Master — a title awarded by the International Chess Federation that places her just one step below Woman Grandmaster, the highest distinction for women in the sport.
She Defeated a Grandmaster
Travis Hope, left, and Johnathan Ireland, right, play chess at Kosciuszko Park on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, that was part of hip-hop chess event for youths attending Your Move MKE. Hope and Ireland were adult mentors participating in the event.
The achievement comes only weeks after she stunned the British chess world by defeating 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells at the British Chess Championships in Liverpool. That victory not only earned her international headlines but also cemented her as the youngest female player to ever beat a grandmaster, a feat most professionals spend a lifetime chasing.
Bodhana Started Playing During Lockdown
Chess pieces sit ready for play Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at SPARK on the Circle along Monument Circle in Indianapolis.
Her rise feels meteoric. Born in Harrow, north-west London, Bodhana first picked up the game during the COVID-19 lockdown when a family friend handed down an old chessboard. “I wanted to use the pieces as toys,” she told the BBC, before her father encouraged her to try playing instead. Within weeks, she was trouncing him.
Her Family Is Happy She’s Having Fun
A chess board is displayed in Bayer’s Tavern, a Gloucester City bar that says they’ve received pushback after hanging pride flags and starting Drag events.
By 2024, Bodhana was representing England at the Chess Olympiad in Hungary, believed to be the youngest person ever to represent the country internationally in any sport. Both of her parents are engineers, not chess players. Her father said, “Nobody in our family played. We’re just happy she enjoys it.”
A Rare Breed of Chess Player
From handmade jewelry to rugs and resin made chess sets, the 19th annual Spring Craft Show at the Destin Community Center has a bit of it all. The event will be open on Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and parking is free at the community center.
Chess has rarely seen prodigies like Bodhana break through at such a young age. Malcolm Pein, an International Master who has helped bring the game into British schools, sees her ascent as more than just a personal milestone. He said, “[Bodhana is] blazing a trail. She’s composed, modest, and absolutely brilliant. She could easily become women’s world champion — and maybe even overall world champion.” When asked about the pressure of facing players several times her age, Bodhana shrugs it off. “I try not to worry about factors like that,” she said. “I just play the board.”
She Wants to be a Grandmaster
Michael Yezukevich, of Quincy, founder of the Quincy Chess Club, moves his bishop during the club’s first night at Bethany Congregational Church in Quincy on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.
Bodhana achievement has already surpassed that of American chess prodigy Carissa Yip, who held the previous record for youngest Woman International Master at nearly 11 years old. At just 10 years, five months, and three days, Bodhana has redefined what’s possible for girls in the sport. Her ultimate goal is to be a Grandmaster, the sport’s pinnacle, a title held by just a few hundred players worldwide. For now, though, she remains a fifth-grader who happens to be beating adults decades her senior — and reminding the world that greatness doesn’t always wait for adulthood.
