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Eleven-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest female player in chess history to fulfil the requirements for the International Master title, breaking a record held by Judit Polgar since 1988. The Indian-origin English player completed the milestone at the European Women’s Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, after winning her final-round game against Sweden’s Woman International Master Viktoria Johansson on Friday, October 23, 2026.
Sivanandan achieved the feat at 11 years, seven months and 16 days, according to reports. The victory secured her third and final International Master norm and helped her reach the required 2400 rating threshold. She is now listed as the seventh-youngest International Master overall, in a milestone that places her among the youngest title-holders in the game’s history.
Polgar, widely regarded as one of the strongest female players in chess history, set the previous record in 1988 by earning the International Master title at the age of 12. Sivanandan’s achievement moves that benchmark lower by several months and ends a mark that had remained in place for nearly four decades.
The final-round win over Johansson was the decisive step in completing the title requirements. Reports from the event state that Sivanandan finished with 5.5 points from seven games while playing on board one for She Plays To Win Lionesses A. Her result added another milestone to a rapid rise through the international chess ranks.
International Master is a high-level title awarded by FIDE, the sport’s international governing body. Players generally need to meet rating and norm requirements across eligible competitions. Sivanandan’s result fulfilled the required conditions, although the formal title process follows FIDE’s official procedures.
The International Master achievement follows another landmark in Sivanandan’s career. Less than a month earlier, she became the youngest player ever to fulfil the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster title at the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, while representing England.
She has also been credited with becoming the youngest female player to earn the Woman International Master title and the youngest female FIDE Master. Earlier in 2026, she made headlines after defeating French grandmaster Marc’Andria Maurizzi, rated 2628 at the time, to set a separate age record for a girl beating a grandmaster rated above 2600. Those achievements are distinct from the new International Master age record.
Her latest milestone places her seventh on the all-time list of youngest International Masters, according to media reports. Javokhir Sindarov is listed ahead of her, while Indian grandmaster D Gukesh appears below her on that particular age-based ranking. The comparison concerns age at the time of earning the IM title, rather than current playing strength.
- 11 years, 7 months and 16 days: Sivanandan’s reported age when she completed the IM requirements.
- 1988: The year Judit Polgar set the previous female age record.
- 5.5/7: Sivanandan’s reported score on board one at the European Women’s Club Cup.
- 2400: The rating threshold she reached to complete the IM requirements.
- Third IM norm: The final norm secured with her win over Viktoria Johansson.
- Seven: Her reported position on the all-time youngest International Master list.
Although Sivanandan was born and raised in London and represents England, her family has roots in Tamil Nadu. Her father, Sivanandan Velayutham, is from Tiruchirappalli. That connection has made her progress especially notable for Indian chess followers, while her competitive career has developed through the British and international chess systems.
Reports about her early years say she first became interested in chess at around five, after coming across a chessboard at home. Her father initially helped her learn through online videos, without expecting chess to become such a major part of her life. She has continued balancing school with competition and training in London.
The path from an initial interest in the game to the International Master title has been unusually quick. Her record also illustrates how young players can progress through a combination of tournament opportunities, strong results against titled opponents and the ability to meet demanding rating and norm conditions.
Sivanandan has spoken publicly about her ambition to become a Grandmaster. The IM milestone is a major step, but the Grandmaster title has its own requirements and will depend on further results, norms and rating progress. She will now be watched closely as she continues competing in adult and elite-level events.
For women’s chess, the record is a prominent marker of the pace at which the next generation is emerging. Polgar’s age record lasted 38 years; Sivanandan has now reset it at 11. Her next challenge will be to build on the achievement across future tournaments while continuing the longer journey toward the open Grandmaster title.
