Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Female International Master at 11, Breaks 38-Year-Old Record

Chess player Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest woman in history to win the International Master (IM) title. She is only 11 years old. She earned the title at the European Women’s Chess Club Cup 2026.

Who is Bodhana Sivanandan?

Bodhana Sivanandan is an English chess player of Indian origin. She comes from Harrow in north London. The IM title is one of the highest ranks in chess, just below Grandmaster.

Bodhana Sivanandan Breaks Judit Polgar’s 38-Year-Old Chess Record

Judit Polgar had held the record for the youngest female IM for 38 years. Bodhana needed only a few more rating points to qualify for the open IM title, which is not limited to women. Her strong run in the tournament gave her those points and ended Polgar’s long-standing record.

Bodhana Sivanandan Among the 10 Youngest International Masters of All Time

With this title, Bodhana also joins the list of the 10 youngest IMs ever. Some players on this list are:

• R Praggnanandhaa (India)
• D Gukesh (India)
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan)
• Faustino Oro (Argentina)
• Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (Turkey)
• Roman Shogdzhiev (Russia)

About the European Women’s Chess Club Cup 

The European Women’s Chess Club Cup is a team event where women’s chess clubs from across Europe compete against each other. Each club plays its matches on different boards, and Board 1 usually faces the strongest opponents.

Bodhana Sivanandan’s Performance in the European Women’s Chess Club Cup 2026

Bodhana played on Board 1 for the team She Plays to Win Lionesses and scored 5.5 out of 7. Her journey in the event was as follows:

• Round 1: She came close to drawing against Russian Grandmaster Aleksandra Goryachkina.
• Round 3: She beat Belarusian IM Olga Badelka, which raised her rating to 2399.4.
• Round 4: She drew with Georgian Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili.
• Final win: She defeated Sweden’s Woman International Master Viktoria Johansson in 32 moves and secured the IM title.