SAMARKAND — Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest-ever Woman Grandmaster, securing her third and final norm at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, People reported Monday. The achievement makes her the youngest player in history to hold the title.
She broke the previous record held by Kateryna Lagno, who earned the Woman Grandmaster title at 12 years and four months. Sivanandan’s achievement lowers the record by more than a year.
Sivanandan also earned her second open international master norm at the Olympiad, according to the report, adding another milestone to her showing in Samarkand. The additional norm further underlined the strength of her performance at the event.
The British prodigy, of Indian origin with family roots in Trichy, discovered chess during the coronavirus lockdowns, according to the report. The game she found during the pandemic shutdowns became the pursuit that would carry her to a world record.
She became Britain’s youngest women’s champion in August 2026 and attends a state school in London, according to the report. Her national title last summer was an early signal of the trajectory that has now taken her to the top of the age records.
The final norm in Samarkand completed the three-norm requirement for the Woman Grandmaster title, which she achieved at 11. At an age when most of her peers are still in primary school, Sivanandan now holds a title that places her among the elite of women’s chess. People reported the achievement on Monday, following the conclusion of her final norm at the Olympiad.