Indian-origin Bodhana Sivanandan breaks barriers as youngest female to beat a chess Grandmaster

Bodhana Sivanandan (Pic: @le_Parisien/X)

Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old chess sensation of Indian origin based in London, has etched her name in the history books by becoming the youngest female player ever to defeat a grandmaster.

The remarkable feat occurred during the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships held in Liverpool, where Sivanandan outplayed 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells, who is one of the most respected figures in British chess.

According to the International Chess Federation (ICF), the global governing body for the sport, Sivanandan's victory surpasses the previous record held by American chess player Carissa Yip, establishing a new benchmark in women's chess.

"British sensation Bodhana Sivanandan has made history by becoming the youngest female chess player ever to beat a grandmaster!" the ICF said in a post. "Sivanandan's victory at 10 years, five months and three days beats the 2019 record held by American Carissa Yip (10 years, 11 months and 20 days)."

After the win, Sivanandan has earned a new title, the woman international master, which is the second-highest-ranking title given exclusively to women, second only to woman grandmaster.

NCP leader and former union minister Praful Patel lauded Sivanandan's heroics and called her 'truly inspiring'. "Congratulations to #BodhanaSivanandan, the 10-year-old chess sensation from Harrow, on making history as the youngest female player to ever defeat a Grandmaster. Her dedication and brilliance are truly inspiring!"

Interestingly, last year, Sivanandan became the youngest person selected to represent England internationally in any sport. She was selected to represent the country at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, where all her teammates were in their 20s, 30s or 40s.

Sivanandan was also among a select group of young chess talents invited to 10 Downing Street by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as part of the government's announcement of a landmark £1 million investment package to support and promote the game of chess.