WASHINGTON — Bodhana Sivanandan, a 10-year-old from London, has made history at the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool, becoming the youngest female player ever to beat a chess grandmaster.

Her victory over 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells in the tournament’s final round earned her the "woman international master" title, which is the second-highest title awarded exclusively to women, behind only "woman grandmaster."

According to the International Chess Federation, Sivanandan’s win at 10 years, five months and three days surpasses the previous record set in 2019 by American chess player Carissa Yip, who was 10 years, 11 months and 20 days old at the time of her win.

Bodhana has been making headlines in the chess industry for years. In 2024, she became the youngest person ev

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