The extraordinary FM Bodhana Sivanandan has done it again. On Friday, the 11-year-old prodigy achieved yet another record, becoming the youngest girl ever to complete the requirements for the International Master title, securing her third and final norm at the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro.

Bodhana defeated WIM Viktoria Johansson of Sweden's Wasa SK in the seventh and final round, finishing on 5.5/7 on board one for her team, She Plays To Win Lionesses A. With a rating performance of 2465, she achieved her third and final IM norm.

At 11 years, seven months, and 16 days, that means she has broken a female age record held by GM Judit Polgar since 1988. The Hungarian earned the IM title at 12, before going on to become the strongest female player in chess history.

Congratulations to 11-year-old IM Bodhana Sivanandan on scoring her final IM norm to become the 7th youngest IM in chess history — and the youngest female IM ever! https://t.co/odYTIrc3Qn https://t.co/gqWP8GkCcg

— chess24 ( @chess24com) October 23, 2026

In a post-game interview with WCM Tallulah Roberts on the official broadcast, Bodhana said she was already looking toward her next goal when asked about the achievement.

"I'm happy about that but hopefully I'm able to get grandmaster soon as well!" she said.

I'm happy about that but hopefully I'm able to get grandmaster soon as well!
—Bodhana Sivanandan

The British prodigy from Harrow outside London, has not only broken a record Polgar had for 38 years, but she is also the seventh-youngest player of all time to qualify for the title, according to Chess.com's research. 

She is exactly one month older than World Championship challenger GM Javokhir Sindarov was when he achieved his IM title in 2017, while the reigning champion GM Gukesh Dommaraju was almost two months older in 2018. She is one of only ten players to complete the title before turning 12.

"You can only describe her as a generational talent, I am delighted that it's happening." IM Malcolm Pein, Director of International Chess and External Relations at the English Chess Federation, told Chess.com. “I think we stopped being surprised by her achievements in the last year."

The achievement comes less than a month after she became the youngest player ever to fulfill the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. While still awaiting formal approval for that title, she has now passed the required 2400 live rating during the Club Cup, and also completed the requirements for the higher, open IM title, which is available to players of any gender. 

Playing on board one for She Plays To Win Lionesses A, Sivanandan recovered from an opening-round defeat against former Women's World Championship challenger GM Aleksandra Goryachkina. 

She struck back with two wins, including this one over IM Olga Badelka.

In round four, five-time Georgian Women's champion GM Nino Batsiashvili barely managed to escape with a draw after being under pressure the whole game. 

That left her needing a final-round victory against the 2034-rated Johansson. She delivered with Black, completing the tournament with five wins, one draw, and one loss.

"In the opening I got an advantage, I managed to win this pawn in a gambit, and then maybe it was equal, maybe I was slightly worse,” Bodhana told Roberts. “But then she tried to attack my king and I managed to defend and I got two pieces for the rook and then I was winning."

Asked for the secret behind her success, she gave a brief answer: “No secret!”

Her three IM norms all came in the space of just three months. The first arrived at the Dole Open in France in July, where she scored 5/9 and became the youngest girl ever to achieve an IM norm—another record she took from Polgar. She started that event by defeating 2628-rated GM Marc'Andria Maurizzi, becoming the youngest girl to beat a player rated above 2600 in classical.

Her second norm followed at September's Chess Olympiad, where she played every round on England's top board and finished on 8/11. Her final-round victory over WGM Janelle Mae Frayna secured the IM norm, while she had already earned her final WGM norm earlier in the event.

In August, she also added another milestone by becoming the youngest British Women's Champion. It adds to an increasingly long list of incredible achievements by the prodigy after she first gained international attention as an eight-year-old in 2023, first becoming England's first world youth chess champion in 25 years, then winning girls' under-eight world titles in classical, rapid, and blitz with a combined perfect score of 33/33.

Pein, who has followed Sivanandan closely since she first appeared on the chess scene, highlighted both her playing style and her growing confidence.

"As a player, she is very positional. Very sound. Wonderful in the endgame. She is blessed with natural intuition,” he said.

History made – again! 💥 Congratulations to Bodhana Sivanandan, the youngest female player ever to qualify for the IM title! At just 11 years and 7 months, Bodhana secured her third and final IM norm today at the European Club Cup. ♟️

— English Chess Federation (ECF) ( @ecfchess) October 23, 2026

GM Mert Erdogdu, who has coached Sivanandan since January 2026, said her progress reflects her love of the game and work ethic.

“Her progress was inevitable, as she loves the game and works very hard. I work with her four times a week, and she also trains with the legendary GM John Emms. She is so talented, strong, and dedicated that no achievement comes as a surprise,” he told Chess.com.

She is so talented, strong, and dedicated that no achievement comes as a surprise.
—Mert Erdogdu

"Nevertheless, achieving such a title at her age is a remarkable accomplishment. I believe this is just a stepping stone towards an even more successful career," he added.

Pein is also excited about Sivanandan playing a role in bringing chess to a wider audience in Britain, noting the growing interest among celebrities in the country, as well as the coverage of her WGM record.

"Chess has exploded. Chess.com numbers tell us that," he said.

"When Bodhana became the youngest ever WGM just a few weeks ago, the BBC article about that was the second-most-read for many hours. It’s incredibly important and it generated enormous interest."

When Bodhana became the youngest ever WGM just a few weeks ago, the BBC article about that was the second-most-read for many hours.
—Malcolm Pein

For Sivanandan, the Club Cup was also about enjoying the experience with her teammates. She Plays To Win Lionesses A finished 11th out of 22 teams in the women's section, one place above its seeding. Her assessment of the team's performance was measured.

"We did OK but I wouldn't say we did brilliantly, but we just came here to enjoy and be like a good team as well, so in that way it was good."