At 11, Bodhana Sivanandan just became the youngest Woman Grandmaster in chess history

British player Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, from Harrow in London, earned her third and final Woman Grandmaster norm while playing top board for England at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, finishing with eight points from 11 rounds. FIDE confirmed the title — the highest reserved for women players — making her the youngest ever to hold it, ahead of previous record holders who were 12. She taught herself chess during lockdown and, at seven, won all 24 of her games at a European schools championship.