British Indian schoolgirl Bodhana Sivanandan crowned youngest chess grandmaster

Indian-origin chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has been crowned the youngest Woman Grandmaster (WGM) while representing England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The 11-year-old London schoolgirl is the youngest chess player in history to earn the WGM title after becoming the youngest person to represent England internationally in any sport, when she played for the English Chess Federation at age nine.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) confirmed her latest milestone after she played all 11 rounds on England's top board – a position assigned to the team's top player – and finished the tournament with eight points on Sunday (September 29, 2026).

"I'm happy to do it, but I want to keep going and keep making history as well, instead of just stopping here," Ms. Bodhana told FIDE.