10-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest girl to defeat chess grandmaster

Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old chess prodigy from Harrow, achieved a remarkable milestone by defeating Grandmaster Peter Wells at the 2025 British Chess Championships. This victory makes her the youngest female in history to beat a grandmaster, cementing her status as one of the most promising young talents in the game. Her achievement not only highlights her exceptional skills and strategic brilliance but also inspires young players worldwide to pursue excellence in chess, regardless of age or gender barriers.

A young chess talent from Harrow, Bodhana Sivanandan, made history by overcoming seasoned Grandmaster Peter Wells during the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool, becoming the youngest girl ever to claim such a victory.

At just 10 years, five months, and three days old, she surpassed the previous record set by American Carissa Yip in 2019. Commentator GM Danny Gormally described her performance as almost magical, while chess icon Susan Polgar publicly celebrated her achievement.

Her triumph also secured her first Woman Grandmaster norm and the third norm required for the Woman International Master title, making her the youngest to ever hold it. Polgar praised her “double achievement” in a single tournament.

Bodhana, already a Woman FIDE Master, traces her roots to Trichy, Tamil Nadu. Her father, Sivanandan Velayutham, an IT professional, moved the family to London in 2007, where she was born and grew up to become a leading figure in British chess.

In 2023, at only eight years old, she was invited to 10 Downing Street by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to mark a new government funding initiative for UK chess.

She began her chess journey at age five during the COVID-19 lockdown, when a family friend left behind a chess set. Initially drawn to the pieces as toys, her father encouraged her to learn the game, setting her on the path to this remarkable milestone.

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Source: hindustantimes‍