Sports

10-Year-Old British Chess Prodigy World's Youngest Female Grandmaster

Published AUG 14 2025

Story

Above: Bodhana Sivanandan competes at St. George's Hall on Aug. 7, 2025 in Liverpool, England. Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The Facts

British chess player Bodhana Sivanandan, 10, became the youngest female to win the Woman International Master title Sunday, defeating Grandmaster Peter Wells in the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool.
Times Now
Sportstar
Chess.com
With her victory over the 60-year-old Grandmaster, Sivanandan, who is from Harrow, broke the previous record set in 2019 by American Carissa Yip as the youngest female player ever to defeat a grandmaster.
The Times of India
ABC
BBC News
Tim Wall, head of Junior Chess at the English Chess Federation, said of her performance that the young chess sensation "exudes calmness and maturity on the board."
ABC
Firstpost
Sivanandan's family moved to London in 2007, though her father was originally from Tiruchirappalli in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She reportedly began playing chess during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Firstpost
Outlook India
Sivanandan's introduction of chess was allegedly accidental, as she began playing on a chessboard that her dad's friend had meant to donate to a charity shop, before instead gifting it to her.
Liverpool Echo
News18
Firstpost
Three years ago, Sivanandan won all 24 competitive matches she played — and was awarded three gold medals — in the European Schools championships held in Rhodes. At age 8, she met then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street.
News18
Firstpost
The Telegraph

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Child prodigies invariably face significant psychological risks from the pressures of early achievement. Overcultivation can cause self-esteem problems, performance anxiety, and a sense of failure despite their accomplishments. Parents' ambitious expectations may backfire, and Sivanandan should err away from striving for perfection.

Time Magazine

Narrative B

While child prodigies often face physical or emotional challenges, Sivanandan appears extremely well-adapted, having learned her discipline during the COVID pandemic and enjoying the benefit of supportive and loving parents. Her rise toward potentially becoming the youngest grandmaster ever offers an inspiring story in competitive chess.