Bodhana Sivanandan breaks Judit Polgar’s 38-year-old record
Making Chess History at 11: Bodhana Sivanandan Breaks Judit Polgar’s 38-Year Record
Some chess records outlast an entire generation of players. Champions change, new stars emerge, and computers transform the way players prepare—yet the same name remains in the record books.
Judit Polgar’s record stood for 38 years. Now, a British schoolgirl has surpassed it.
At 11 years, seven months and 16 days, Bodhana Sivanandan fulfilled the requirements for the International Master title—younger than any other female player in chess history. She secured the decisive result on October 23, 2026, at the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro. This marks the completion of the title requirements; the formal award remains subject to FIDE approval.
The Victory That Secured the Record
In Budva, Sivanandan played on board one for She Plays To Win Lionesses A. The tournament delivered an ending worthy of a major sporting milestone: everything came down to the final round.
Bodhana faced Sweden’s Viktoria Johansson. Victory with the black pieces earned the British player her third and final IM norm. She finished with 5½ points out of seven: five wins, one draw and one loss. During the event, she also crossed the required 2400 rating threshold.
Her route to the record, however, began with a setback. Bodhana lost to Aleksandra Goryachkina in the opening round. She then recovered, defeating International Master Olga Badelka and drawing with Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili.
That sequence reveals almost as much about her chess as her age does. Recovering from an opening defeat requires composure: resisting the urge to win back lost ground at any cost, facing strong opponents without fear, and keeping the previous game from shaping the next one.
Why the International Master Title Matters
The terminology can make this story confusing. International Master—IM—and Woman International Master—WIM—are different titles.
Bodhana fulfilled the requirements for the open IM title, which is available to players of any gender. The standard route requires a rating of 2400 and three qualifying performances, known as norms. Each norm demonstrates that a player has achieved a sufficiently strong result in an event meeting specific conditions.
The phrase “youngest female player” therefore describes the age record. The title itself is not restricted to women’s competitions.
Why the Polgar Comparison Carries Such Weight
Judit Polgar reached the same milestone in 1988, when she was 12. The Hungarian player later climbed to eighth in the overall world rankings. Her name became synonymous with women competing successfully against the very best players in the world.
Surpassing her age record means setting a new benchmark after almost four decades.
Yet the record does not mean the two careers will follow the same course. An early title creates opportunities, but what follows depends on thousands of decisions: how to train, which tournaments to enter, how to handle setbacks, and how to preserve the desire to play.
The comparison with Polgar puts the achievement into perspective. Sivanandan’s future remains a story of her own.
Three Norms Across One Summer and Autumn
Bodhana’s breakthrough was built on more than one successful week in Montenegro. She earned her first IM norm in July at the Dole Open in France. There, she also defeated French Grandmaster Marc’Andria Maurizzi, rated 2628—an achievement highlighted by the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess.
Her second norm came at the September Olympiad in Samarkand, where she scored eight points from 11 games on England’s top board. The third followed in Budva. Within a few months, a series of strong performances had added up to all the requirements for a new title.
A Story That Began with a Discarded Chess Set
Bodhana discovered chess at the age of five, during the pandemic lockdowns. She found a chess set among belongings her father was preparing to throw away. Just a few years later, she was representing England in international competition.
It is easy to see a charming twist of fate in that beginning. But finding the set explains only how she encountered the game. Between that moment and the record came training, analysing mistakes, and playing opponents who offered no concessions for her age.
Bodhana’s next competitive goal is now the grandmaster title. She spoke of that ambition after her decisive game in Budva.
For chess history, October 23 marked the end of a record that had stood for 38 years. For Sivanandan herself, it was another milestone—with a new board, a new opponent and the next move still ahead.