British-Indian chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest Woman Grandmaster in history at the age of 11, breaking a record that stood for over two decades.

Representing England on the top board at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the London schoolgirl scored eight points from 11 rounds. FIDE confirmed she had secured her third and final WGM norm before the tournament ended.

Bodhana broke the previous record held by Kateryna Lagno, who earned the title at 12. She also picked up her second International Master norm and had already crossed the 2,300 rating mark required for the WGM title.

“I’m happy to do it, but I want to keep going and keep making history as well, instead of just stopping here,” she told FIDE. Her parents moved from Tiruchirappalli in India to Britain in 2007. The 11-year-old, who taught herself chess during the pandemic, is now Britain’s top-rated female player.