At just 11 years old, Bodhana Sivanandan is rewriting chess history. The Indian-origin British chess prodigy has become the youngest female International Master (IM) in history, breaking a record held by legendary Hungarian chess player Judit Polgar since 1988.

Bodhana achieved the milestone at the age of 11 years, seven months and 16 days after securing her third and final IM norm at the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro. She is also the seventh-youngest player overall to earn the International Master title, placing her among the youngest chess talents the world has seen.

The achievement comes less than a month after she became the youngest Woman Grandmaster (WGM), adding yet another remarkable chapter to her rapidly growing career.

Three Norms in Just Three Months

Bodhana secured all three required IM norms within three months, competing in tournaments outside the United Kingdom. Her journey included the Dole Open in France, where she earned her first norm, followed by an impressive performance at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Representing England on the top board, she recorded six wins, four draws and just one defeat.

Her final norm came at the European Club Cup, where she represented the She Plays To Win Lionesses A team. Despite opening the tournament with a loss to former world championship challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina, Bodhana bounced back with a victory over Olga Badelka and drew against Georgian Grandmaster Nino Batsiashvili.

Balancing School and Chess

What makes Bodhana’s achievements even more impressive is how she balances her chess career with everyday school life. Unlike many young prodigies who devote most of their time to the game, she attends school full-time and trains for around two hours a day.

Born in London to parents who moved from Tamil Nadu to the UK, Bodhana began playing chess at five. Despite her growing success, she remains keen to continue her education and spend time with friends. She has said that earning the IM title brings her a step closer to becoming a Grandmaster, though she has not set a deadline for achieving it.

Is Grandmaster Glory Next?

Bodhana has already collected several age-related records, including those for the youngest Woman International Master and Woman FIDE Master. She also became the youngest British Women's Champion in August.

With every tournament, Bodhana Sivanandan is turning bold ambitions into historic milestones, and her next big move could bring her closer to one of chess’s greatest honours—the Grandmaster title.