British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, aged 11 years, 7 months and 16 days, clinched her third International Master (IM) norm on Friday at the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro. The victory over Sweden’s WIM Viktoria Johansson on board one for the She Plays To Win Lionesses A team secured the final requirement for the IM title, making her the youngest woman ever to achieve the distinction.
Breaking a 38‑year‑old record
The accomplishment shatters a benchmark set by Hungarian Grandmaster Judit Polgar in 1988. Polgar earned the IM title at age 12; Sivanandan’s new record places her roughly a year younger, establishing a new milestone for female players worldwide. Chess.com research confirms that Sivanandan is now the seventh‑youngest player of any gender to qualify for the IM title, and she joins an exclusive group of ten individuals who have done so before turning twelve.
Her performance rating of 2,465 in the final round, combined with a tournament score of 5.5 out of 7, satisfied the final norm criteria. The win came after a dramatic comeback: after losing her opening round game to former Women’s World Championship challenger GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, she rallied with two victories, including a decisive game against IM Olga Badelka, and held a draw against five‑time Georgian Women’s champion GM Nino Batsiashvili before facing Johansson.
Road to the title
Sivanandan’s three IM norms were earned within a three‑month span. The first arrived at the Dole Open in France in July, where she posted a 5‑out‑of‑9 score and became the youngest girl to secure an IM norm, a record previously held by Polgar. During that event she defeated GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi, who was rated 2,628, making her the youngest female to beat a player rated above 2,600 in classical chess.
The second norm was achieved at the September Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Playing on England’s top board for every round, she amassed 8 points from 11 games. A final‑round victory over WGM Janelle Mae Frayna secured the IM norm, while an earlier win in the same tournament earned her the final norm required for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title – a title she had already qualified for but was still awaiting formal confirmation at the time of the European Club Cup.
In August, she also claimed the title of youngest British Women’s Champion, adding to a rapidly expanding résumé that includes becoming England’s first world youth champion in 25 years at age eight, and sweeping the under‑eight girls’ world titles in classical, rapid and blitz formats with a perfect combined score of 33‑33.
Reactions from the chess community
Following the decisive game, Sivanandan told WCM Tallulah Roberts that she was already looking ahead, saying, “I’m happy about that but hopefully I’m able to get grandmaster soon as well!” The comment reflects her ambition to progress beyond the IM level.
IM Malcolm Pein, Director of International Chess and External Relations at the English Chess Federation, described her as a “generational talent” and noted that her achievements have become almost expected after a year of extraordinary results. Pein also highlighted her positional style, soundness, strong endgame technique and natural intuition.
Her long‑time coach, GM Mert Erdogdu, who began working with her in January 2026, attributed the rapid ascent to her love of the game and disciplined training schedule, which includes four weekly sessions with him and additional work with GM John Emms. Erdogdu said, “Her progress was inevitable, as she loves the game and works very hard… no achievement comes as a surprise.”
The broader British chess scene has taken notice. Pein pointed out that coverage of Sivanandan’s recent WGM record generated a surge of public interest, with a BBC article becoming the second‑most‑read story for several hours after publication. He suggested that her visibility could help broaden the game’s appeal in the UK.
Teamwise, the She Plays To Win Lionesses A finished 11th out of 22 teams in the women’s section, a placement one spot above their pre‑tournament seeding. Sivanandan assessed the team’s performance modestly, stating that the primary goal was to enjoy the experience and play cohesively.
With the IM title now within reach, Sivanandan joins a select lineage of female players who have broken barriers at a young age. Her record‑setting run not only rewrites history but also sets a new benchmark for aspiring chess talents worldwide.
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