Trichy-origin English girl Bodhana Sivanandan becomes youngest female International Master in chess history
25 October 2026 · English Sports
Topics: Sports · 25 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)
News
Bodhana Sivanandan (born 7 March 2015) of Harrow, London, England, whose family hails from Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, completed the requirements for the International Master (IM) title on 23 Oct 2026 at the age of 11 years, 7 months and 16 days. She earned her third and final IM norm at the 30th European Club Cup for Women in Budva, Montenegro (5.5/7) and crossed the required 2400 live-rating mark. She broke the 38-year-old record set by Hungary's Judit Polgar in 1988 to become the youngest female IM in chess history (FIDE will formally confirm the title).
Key facts
| Record | Youngest female IM in chess history – 11 years 7 months 16 days |
| Venue / date | 30th European Club Cup for Women, Budva (Montenegro) – 23 Oct 2026 |
| Record broken | Judit Polgar (Hungary), 1988 |
| Background | Born 7 March 2015, London; family roots in Tiruchirappalli |
| Other records | Played for England at the 2024 Budapest Olympiad; youngest girl to beat a GM; youngest Women's British Champion (Aug 2026); completed WGM requirements at the Samarkand Olympiad (Sep 2026) |
| IM rule | 3 IM norms + 2400 FIDE rating (GM 2500; WGM 2300; WIM 2200) |
Background
- FIDE (International Chess Federation) was founded in Paris on 20 July 1924 – hence 20 July is International Chess Day (UN, 2019). HQ: Lausanne (Switzerland); motto 'Gens una sumus' (We are one family); recognised by the IOC in 1999.
- FIDE leadership: after Arkady Dvorkovich temporarily stepped aside in July 2026 following EU sanctions, Viswanathan Anand became interim president. At the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) on 26–27 Sep 2026, Timur Turlov was elected President and Anand Deputy President.
- FIDE titles (descending): Grandmaster (GM), International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM), Candidate Master (CM); women-only titles are WGM, WIM, WFM and WCM. GM and IM are open to both men and women.
- Indian women's chess: S. Vijayalakshmi of Chennai became India's first woman IM and first WGM (2001). Koneru Humpy became India's first woman Grandmaster in 2002.
Tamil Nadu link: Bodhana's family hails from Tiruchirappalli. Chennai's Viswanathan Anand (India's first GM, 1988) is now FIDE Deputy President (Sep 2026). Chennai's S. Vijayalakshmi was India's first woman IM.
Source: ChessBase India (24 Oct 2026), World Chess, Outlook India (Oct 2026); FIDE General Assembly decisions (fide.com, Sep 2026); DT Next (July 2026)
Join our UPSC classroom or online batch: UPSC coaching in Coimbatore · Fees · Call 99941 46662.
Link to this page from your website / blog (HTML code)
TNPSC Achievers
-
GANDHIMATHI
TNPSC TNPSC
