Eleven-year-old chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has made history by becoming the youngest female player ever to qualify for the International Master (IM) title.The schoolgirl from Harrow, England, achieved the milestone at the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, breaking a record held by chess legend Judit Polgar for 38 years.The English Chess Federation praised Bodhana’s achievement, describing her as an exceptional talent with a bright future in the sport.IM Malcolm Pein, the federation’s Director of International Chess, said, “I can only describe Bodhana as a generational talent. There was no limit to what she can achieve.”
Bodhana breaks Judit Polgar’s record
Bodhana secured her final required IM norm after facing Sweden’s Woman International Master Viktoria Johansson in the tournament’s last round. At 11 years and seven months, she surpassed Polgar, who achieved the same milestone at 12 in 1988.To qualify for the IM title, players generally need three tournament performances known as norms and a FIDE rating of at least 2400. The title is open to both men and women and ranks just below Grandmaster, the highest title in chess.Pein also praised Bodhana for matching Polgar’s achievements at a similar age, adding, “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.”
A remarkable rise in chess
Bodhana’s latest success follows several major achievements. Last month, she became the youngest player ever to qualify for the Woman Grandmaster title after scoring eight points from 11 games at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.Her progress has been rapid since discovering chess at five during the Covid lockdown. At nine, she became the youngest person selected to represent England internationally in any sport. She later defeated a grandmaster at the 2025 British Chess Championships and beat a player rated above 2600 this July.In August, she also won the British Women’s Chess Championship. Now, with the IM requirements completed before turning 12, Bodhana is moving closer to her next major ambition: becoming a Grandmaster.