Chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan sets world record by defeating grandmaster

Bodhana Sivanandan achieved a historic milestone in July 2026 at the Dole Open tournament in Aix-en-Provence. During the first round, the 11-year-old British chess player defeated 19-year-old French grandmaster Marc-Andria Maurizzi, who holds a rating of 2628. This outcome made Sivanandan the youngest girl ever to defeat a grandmaster rated above 2600.

Maurizzi maintained control and held an advantage during the opening 27 moves of the game. However, the French grandmaster blundered tactically, allowing Sivanandan to capture his queen. The young player successfully converted her advantage and secured the victory.

The previous record belonged to legendary Hungarian player Judit Polgar, who defeated Lajos Portisch in 1988 at the age of 12 years and two months. Sivanandan surpassed that mark, which had stood for nearly 38 years, at 11 years and four months old. She also joined the elite group of players under 12 who have defeated 2600+ rated grandmasters.

Born in London on March 7, 2015, to Indian immigrant parents, Sivanandan started playing chess during the 2020 lockdown. She has rapidly accumulated major achievements, recently earning an international master norm and her second woman grandmaster norm at the tournament in France.