Bodhana Sivanandan

Bodhana Sivanandan is an 11-year-old British chess prodigy who has been rewriting the record books since she was eight. Born on March 7, 2015, in London, she holds both the FM (FIDE Master) and WIM (Woman International Master) titles. In early 2026, she surpassed 2300 FIDE rating, gaining over 200 points in a single month to earn the FM title. That made her one of the youngest players in history to reach that milestone.

What sets Bodhana apart is how her trajectory compares to the greatest female chess player of all time. At the same age, she is already rated higher than Judit Polgar was. She also became the youngest woman ever to beat a grandmaster in a rated game. In 2023, at just eight years old, she became England's first World Youth Champion in 25 years, winning the triple crown in classical, rapid, and blitz at the FIDE World Cadets Championship.

Bodhana competes regularly in elite open events, holding her own against titled players far older than her. She is a ChessKid ambassador and has appeared on Chess.com's coverage, including a widely shared match against GothamChess. Her games consistently draw attention for their positional maturity and endgame precision, qualities that are unusual at any age, let alone at 11.

She plays under the England federation and is of British Tamil heritage. Her FIDE ID is 497592. At the current pace, Bodhana is on track to challenge for even higher titles in the years ahead. Photo credit: FIDE / Michal Walusza.