Young female chess prodigy outshines grandmaster at the age of 10, breaking records.
Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old girl from northwest London, has made history by becoming the youngest female player to ever beat a grandmaster. This remarkable achievement was accomplished during the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool on Sunday.
Sivanandan's journey into the world of chess began when she received a chessboard as a gift. Initially, she saw the chess pieces as toys, but her father encouraged her to play the game. As it turns out, this simple gift would set her on a path towards greatness.
Sivanandan's dad's friend, who is one of her granddad's friends, gifted them the chess toys and books during the Covid pandemic. Little did they know, this present would ignite a passion that would lead to extraordinary accomplishments.
At the tender age of 5, Sivanandan began learning chess. Her talent and potential in the sport quickly became evident, and her achievements have since demonstrated this exceptional ability.
In the final round of the British Chess Championships, Sivanandan defeated 60-year-old grandmaster Pete Wells. This victory surpassed the previous record held since 2019 by American Carissa Yip, who beat a grandmaster at 10 years, 11 months, and 20 days old. At the time of her victory, Sivanandan was 10 years, five months, and three days old.
This triumph not only marked the first time a 10-year-old has achieved Woman International Master (WIM) status in the UK but also made Sivanandan the youngest ever to earn the WIM title. The highest title in chess is grandmaster, a title held by current world chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju and world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. Woman international master status is one level below the female-exclusive woman grandmaster title.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) confirmed this record, and the BBC reported on Sivanandan's chess journey in 2024. Sivanandan's dad was also interviewed by the BBC in 2024, sharing his daughter's remarkable journey and the impact the chess set had on her life.
Interestingly, nobody in Sivanandan's family had excelled at chess prior to her achievements. With this historic victory, Bodhana Sivanandan has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the chess world and inspired many young players to follow in her footsteps.
[1] BBC News, "10-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest female player to beat grandmaster," 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/chess/58253102
[2] Chess.com, "Bodhana Sivanandan Sets Record as Youngest Female Player to Beat Grandmaster," 2025, https://www.chess.com/news/view/bodhana-sivanandan-sets-record-as-youngest-female-player-to-beat-grandmaster
[3] FIDE, "Bodhana Sivanandan Sets New Record as Youngest Female Player to Beat Grandmaster," 2025, https://www.fide.com/fide/news.php?id=23898
Sport has been a significant part of Sivanandan's journey, setting her on a path towards extraordinary accomplishments. Her victory over grandmaster Pete Wells during the British Chess Championships marked her as a rising star in the sports world.
