British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has etched her name in history, becoming the youngest female player ever to defeat a grandmaster.The 10-year-old from Harrow achieved the remarkable feat on Sunday, toppling 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells in the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool.At just 10 years, five months and three days, Sivanandan broke the previous record set in 2019 by American Carissa Yip, who was 10 years, 11 months and 20 days old when she claimed her first grandmaster scalp.
“How on earth did she win this? She must be some kind of magician,” GM Danny Gormally said while commentating for the English Chess Federation broadcast.She also received high praise from legendary chess player Susan Polgar.“Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest girl to defeat a GM at just 10 years, 5 months and 3 days in the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships! The previous record was held by IM Carissa Yip,” Polgar wrote on X.Sivanandan also secured her maiden Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm during the tournament. Her triumph in the event earned her the third norm required to seal the Woman International Master (WIM) title, making her the youngest player ever to achieve it.
“According to several chess news sites, by beating a GM in the final round, she also earned her final WIM norm and became a WIM at 10! Double congratulations,” Polgar added.Bodhana, a Woman FIDE Master, has her roots in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, where her family lived until 2007, when her father, IT professional Sivanandan Velayutham, relocated to London.
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Born and raised in the UK capital, she has quickly emerged as the face of British chess despite her tender age.In August 2023, at just eight years old, Bodhana was invited to 10 Downing Street by then–Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was set to announce a financial package to support chess in the UK.
