Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan from Harrow, North West London, has become the youngest female chess grandmaster in history, achieving the title at the 46th Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The self-taught prodigy amassed eight points over 11 games against some of the world’s leading players, surpassing the previous record set by Russia’s Kateryna Lagno, who earned the grandmaster title at age 12 in 2002.

Bodhana, a schoolgirl, developed her skills during the COVID-19 lockdown by studying online tutorials. She has expressed enthusiasm about the game, noting a fascination with the look of the chess pieces, particularly the knight and queen, which initially inspired her to engage with the game. Her first competitive appearance took place in 2021 at Harrow Chess Club, and she subsequently won all 24 of her matches during the 2022 European Schools Championship.

Her rapid ascent continued as she beat many seasoned players, including Grandmaster Peter Wells, aged 60, at the British Championships when she was just 10 years old. Bodhana has communicated a desire to continue advancing her chess career following this historic achievement.

Her accomplishment has drawn attention from notable figures, including former Chancellor and chess enthusiast Rachel Reeves, who publicly congratulated the young talent on her success.