A 10-year-old British chess prodigy of Indian origin, Bodhana Sivanandan, made history on August 10, 2025, by defeating 60-year-old Grandmaster Peter Wells in the final round of the British Chess Championships held in Liverpool, becoming the youngest girl ever to beat a grandmaster.
She was 10 years, five months, and three days old at the time. This breaks the previous record set by American Carissa Yip in 2019, who was 10 years and 11 months old when she beat a grandmaster for the first time.
Bodhana’s family comes from Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) in Tamil Nadu, India. Bodhana’s father, Sivanandan Velayutham, relocated to London in 2007 for his job, and she has lived and grown up there since birth. She started playing chess at the age of five, almost by chance, when she found a chess set at home and began playing.
Her father only knew basic chess, so he downloaded lessons and videos from Chess.com to help her learn. At that time, he thought it might be a short-term hobby, but it quickly became clear that she had an exceptional talent.
Over the years, Bodhana has risen very quickly in the chess world. She has already won three world junior titles. When she was eight, she was invited to 10 Downing Street by then British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was working on a financial support plan for chess in the UK.
On the board, Bodhana is known for playing calm and simple moves, building a solid position, and then outplaying her opponents in the endgame. Experts say her style reminds them of great players like José Raúl Capablanca, Magnus Carlsen, and Judit Polgar, all of whom she admires.
Her win against Wells was special not just for her age but also for the way the game unfolded. By the 19th move, she found herself under pressure as Wells’ pieces advanced toward her king, and by move 37, the match seemed nearly out of her grasp. However, a few careless moves from Wells allowed Bodhana to turn the tables.
She played a sharp rook move, followed by pressure with her queen, which forced Wells to resign. This win helped her earn the final requirement to get the Woman International Master title and also counted as her first norm toward the Woman Grandmaster title.
Even though she is deeply passionate about chess, Bodhana also focuses on her studies. She has learned piano and violin, but says chess is her favourite because it allows her to keep improving without limits. She is widely admired in the chess community for her composure, maturity, and dedicated approach to the game.
Tim Wall, Director of Junior Chess at the English Chess Federation, believes she could become a grandmaster within three to four years. That would be an incredibly fast rise, even in the world of chess prodigies.
Bodhana is also the youngest player ever to be selected for England’s women’s team in any sport, joining them for the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Hungary. She played well against more experienced opponents there