Bodhana Sivanandan

Bodhana Sivanandan (born 7 March 2015) is one of the most exciting young talents in global chess today. A British chess prodigy from Harrow, London, Bodhana comes from Indian Tamil heritage and started her chess journey during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. 

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Chess Career Highlights

2022 Breakthrough – Won silver medals in both rapid and blitz at the European Under-8 Girls Championship. At just 7 years old, she was ranked world no. 1 girl in blitz in her age group.

European Schools Championships 2022 – A flawless run, winning all 24 games and securing three gold medals.

British Chess Championships 2022 – Made headlines with her impressive debut, defeating top juniors and earning praise from grandmasters.

2023 European Blitz Championship – Scored 8.5/13, winning both the Women’s and U12 prizes, and being the top English performer.

2024 Milestones – Selected for England’s Women’s Team at the Chess Olympiad, becoming the youngest ever player in any sport to represent England at senior level. She also became a Woman FIDE Master (WFM).

2025 Historic Achievements – At just 10 years old, she became the youngest player ever to achieve a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm and later defeated GM Peter Wells at the British Chess Championship, securing her title as the youngest Woman International Master (WIM) in history.

Bodhana’s journey is only just beginning. With her determination, creativity, and fearless spirit, she is already inspiring a new generation of young chess players worldwide.