Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, breaks Judit Polgar's 1988 record as youngest female International Master
English prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan completed her IM requirements at 11 years, 7 months and 16 days, breaking a female age record Judit Polgar had held since 1988.
English chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest girl ever to qualify for the International Master title, breaking a record held by Hungarian great Judit Polgar since 1988. Sivanandan secured her third and final IM norm at the European Club Cup for Women in Budva, Montenegro, on Friday 23 October, at the age of 11 years, 7 months and 16 days.
How she clinched the norm
Playing on top board for the She Plays To Win Lionesses A team, Sivanandan beat Woman International Master Viktoria Johansson with the black pieces in round seven. That took her score to 5.5 points from seven games, a performance rated at 2465, and completed the norm.
The International Master title requires three norms and a rating of at least 2400. Sivanandan's rating rose past that mark during the Club Cup, with Indian outlet Daily Jagran putting it at 2406. Formal confirmation of the title by FIDE, the world chess body, normally follows later.
Three norms in about three months
Her rise has been remarkably quick. She made her first IM norm at the Dole Open in France in July with 5 out of 9, an event where she also beat Grandmaster Marc'Andria Maurizzi, rated 2628. That made her the youngest girl to beat a player rated above 2600 in classical chess.
Her second norm came at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand in September, where she scored 8 out of 11 for England. The Club Cup in Montenegro then delivered the third.
A record that stood for 38 years
Polgar, widely regarded as the strongest female player in history, earned the IM title at 12 in 1988 and later became a top-10 player in the open rankings. Sivanandan's achievement also makes her the seventh-youngest player of any gender to qualify for the IM title, according to Chess.com.
Asked about the secret behind her success, the Harrow schoolgirl kept it short: "No secret!" Malcolm Pein, the English Chess Federation's director of international chess, has called her a generational talent.
Other milestones
Sivanandan, whose family has roots in Tamil Nadu, India, already holds a string of age records. She is the youngest British women's champion, has met the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster title (which is awaiting formal approval), and was a triple girls' under-8 world champion across classical, rapid and blitz. She is also the second-highest-rated player in the world born in 2015 or later.
For young players in Malaysia and the wider region, her rapid progress is a reminder of how strong junior chess has become, with norms now being earned at ages once thought impossible.
Key takeaways
- Bodhana Sivanandan qualified for the IM title at 11 years, 7 months and 16 days.
- She broke Judit Polgar's female record, which had stood since 1988.
- Her final norm came at the European Club Cup for Women in Budva, Montenegro, on 23 October.
- She earned all three norms between July and October 2026.
- She is the seventh-youngest player of any gender to qualify for the IM title.
FAQ
What is needed to become an International Master in chess? A player needs three IM norms, which are strong results in qualifying events, plus a FIDE rating of at least 2400, before FIDE formally awards the title.
How old was Judit Polgar when she became an IM? Polgar earned the International Master title at age 12 in 1988.
Which country does Bodhana Sivanandan represent? She represents England and lives in Harrow, outside London.
Sources: Chess.com, Daily Jagran, Wikipedia