Quick Info
| Profession | Chess Player |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Date of Birth | 07/03/2015 |
| Age | 11 years |
| Birthplace | Harrow, London, England |
Latest News about Bodhana Sivanandan
Bodhana Sivanandan was officially ranked as Britain's top female chess player by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on April 1, 2026, replacing Lan Yao. At 11 years old, she became the first English female player to break into the world's top 100 women, sitting at rank 72 with a FIDE rating of 2366.
Bodhana Sivanandan secured the FIDE Master (FM) title in March 2026 after crossing the 2300 rating threshold for the first time. This achievement made her the youngest player ever to earn the FM title, following a month where she gained 203 rating points through strong performances in tournaments in France, Austria, and the 4NCL league in Coventry.
Bodhana Sivanandan became the youngest player to earn a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm at age 10 years, 5 months, and 3 days during the Dole Trophy in July 2025. She achieved a performance rating of 2401 in this event, surpassing Hou Yifan's previous record of 11 years set in 2005.
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Bio/Wiki
| Famous for | Being the youngest female chess player in history to defeat a grandmaster |
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Physical Stats & More
| Eye Color | Black |
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| Hair Color | Black |
Educational Qualification(s)
| School | St John Fisher primary school |
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Personal Life
| Religion | Hinduism |
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Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
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Family
| Father | Sivanandan Velayutham (Engineer) |
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| Mother | Lakshmy Sivanandan |
Career
| Titles |
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| World Championship | World Cadet (Youth) Championships- Girls Under-8 (2023) |
| Notable Games |
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| Awards, Honours, Achievements |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Born in London, England, Bodhana’s family originally hails from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. | |
| 2. Started playing chess at age 5 during the COVID-19 lockdown after stumbling upon a chessboard at home. | |
| 3. Her father, who only knew basic chess, initially downloaded Chess.com to help her learn through videos. | |
| 4. In March 2022, she quickly rose to become the world’s No. 1 blitz player in the under-8 girls’ category. | |
| 5. Won three gold medals at the European Schools Chess Championship in May 2022, winning all 24 games. | |
| 6. In December 2023, she excelled at the European Blitz Championship in Zagreb, securing the women's prize. | |
| 7. Youngest athlete to represent England internationally in any sport in 2024 during the Chess Olympiad. | |
| 8. Achieved her first Woman Grandmaster norm at the Dole Trophy in July 2025 with a performance rating of 2401. | |
| 9. Broke the record for the youngest female chess player to defeat a grandmaster at 10 years, 5 months, and 3 days. | |
| 10. An ambassador for ChessKid.com and starred in a viral video with former British chess champion Peter Lee. | |
| 11. Carries a cushioned seat to comfortably reach the chessboard during matches. | |
| 12. Also learned to play piano and violin but focused primarily on chess. | |
| 13. Defeated former Women's World Champion GM Mariya Muzychuk at the European Club Cup in Rhodes, Greece in 2025, becoming one of the youngest players ever to defeat a former world champion. | |
| 14. Crossed the 2300 FIDE rating threshold in March 2026 to secure the FIDE Master title, gaining 203 rating points in one month. |