In a stunning finale to the 2025 British Chess Championships, 10-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan from northwest London scored a historic victory over seasoned grandmaster (GM) Peter Wells, becoming the youngest female player in history to defeat a GM in competitive play, reported the BBC.
Aged 10 years, five months and three days, Bodhana smashed the previous record set in 2019 by American Carissa Yip – then 10 years, 11 months and 20 days – according to the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
The achievement also earned the young English star the prestigious Woman International Master (WIM) title, which is one step below Woman Grandmaster and just two tiers shy of the sport’s ultimate rank: grandmaster, held by the likes of Magnus Carlsen and India’s reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju.
Born in Harrow to Indian parents with no previous background in chess, Bodhana first discovered the game at age five during a Covid-19 lockdown when a friend of her father gifted the family a bag of toys and books, including a chessboard.
“I wanted to use the pieces as toys,” she recalls. “Instead, my dad said I could learn the game, and I started from there.”
Her rise has been meteoric. In 2024, she became the youngest person ever to represent England internationally in any sport when selected for the women’s team at the Chess Olympiad in Hungary, reported CNN.
That same year, she stunned Europe by winning the top female prize at the European Blitz Championship in Croatia, despite being just eight.
But the Aug 19 scalp – defeating 60-year-old grandmaster Wells in the final round in Liverpool – drew international praise. “She’s so composed, so modest and yet absolutely brilliant,” said Malcolm Pein, International Master and founder of the charity Chess in Schools.
“She’s blazing a trail for girls and could easily become Women’s World Champion – or perhaps even overall World Champion. Certainly, she’s on course to be a grandmaster.”
Her victory also captures a deeper story: in a game long dominated by men, Bodhana’s rise has inspired a new generation of girls. FIDE hailed her achievement on social media as a landmark moment “shattering previous age records” for female success in elite play.
Remarkably, neither of her parents had any chess pedigree. “Nobody at all in our family was good at chess,” her father Siva, said proudly. “We’re delighted and simply hope she enjoys the journey.”
Bodhana herself remains calm about her growing fame. When not studying positions, she says chess helps sharpen her maths and memory skills – and brings her joy. Her ultimate dream? “To become a grandmaster one day.”
With record-breaking victories and titles already under her belt before her 11th birthday, many in the chess world believe it’s just a matter of time.
