Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, Becomes Youngest Female International Master In History

She did it. Eleven-year-old FM, WGM and now very shortly IM Bodhana Sivanandan has made chess history again.

The English prodigy has become the youngest female player ever to fulfil the requirements for the International Master title after winning her final-round game at the European Women's Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro.

Sivanandan finished with a remarkable 5.5/7 on board one for She Plays To Win Lionesses A, completing her third IM norm and reaching the required 2400 rating threshold.

In doing so, she surpassed a record held for 38 years by Hungarian chess legend GM Judit Polgar, widely regarded as the greatest female player in chess history.

It is the latest extraordinary achievement for the youngster from Harrow, who only last month became the youngest player ever to fulfil the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster title at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.

And it comes just days after World Chess reported that Sivanandan was chasing her third IM norm.

Seven Rounds To Make History

Sivanandan's European Club Cup campaign began with a 77-move defeat against former Women's World Championship challenger GM Aleksandra Goryachkina.

But the youngster responded brilliantly.

She defeated India's WFM Sri Darshini T in round two, then beat IM Olga Badelka, rated 2408, with the black pieces in round three.

A marathon 85-move draw against Georgian GM Nino Batsiashvili followed, in which Sivanandan won an exchange and pressed for victory before her experienced opponent escaped.

She then defeated Croatian FM Ena Cvitan in round five and Lithuania's Arina Budiak in round six.

That left her on 4.5/6 going into Friday's final round, with another victory enough to complete a historic achievement.

And she delivered.

The final-round win took her to 5.5/7, completing an outstanding individual performance against opposition that included some of Europe's strongest women players.

Breaking Polgar's Record

The International Master title is an open title, awarded to players who satisfy FIDE's performance and rating requirements regardless of gender.

It is distinct from the Woman International Master and Woman Grandmaster titles.

Sivanandan had already earned two IM norms, including one at September's Chess Olympiad, where she represented England on the top board at just 11 years old.

Her third norm in Budva completes another major milestone in a career that has developed at astonishing speed.

Earlier this year, she became Britain's youngest-ever women's national champion. At the 2025 European Club Cup, she also defeated former Women's World Champion GM Mariya Muzychuk.

Now she has surpassed a record associated with Polgar, who went on to become a top-10 player in the world and famously competed against the very best male grandmasters.

Sivanandan's latest achievement is another remarkable moment for English chess—and raises the tantalising question of just how far the 11-year-old can go.

On Friday night, the English Chess Federation issued a statement hailing her achievement.

IM Malcolm Pein, the ECF’s Director of International Chess, said: “I can only describe Bodhana as a generational talent. There was no limit to what she can achieve.

"It’s remarkable that she is more than matching Judit Polgar's achievements at a similar age and breaking her records, even if we live in different times. It's worth noting that Bodhana is the seventh youngest player, boy or girl, to become an International Master.

"The ECF is grateful to her parents for supporting her on this journey, which is only just beginning, and to Rishi Sunak and Rachel Reeves, who supported governmental help via the DCMS for chess in England.

"We are looking forward to Bodhana’s next tournament, which will be the FIDE Swiss at the XTX market's 16th London Chess Classic."