Bodhana Sivanandan: youngest female IM ever

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Chessbase article now published:

https://en.chessbase.com/post/bodhana-y ... le-im-ever

Bodhana Sivanandan: youngest female IM ever

Most recent earlier discussion was in this thread here:

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=15418

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Worth pointing out an earlier Chessbase article that might have been missed at the time (also by Frederic Friedel):

https://en.chessbase.com/post/bodhana-breaks-the-record

She and her father went to the Chessbase offices in Hamburg in Germany in April and that is the reason she ended up playing in the Bundesliga:

Finally I took Bodhana and her father, Sivanandan Velayutham, to meet the Bundesliga team of Hamburg. I wanted her to play in the German league, and the management committee offered her a place in the Women's Bundesliga team. I insisted: she must play in the men's section. "But there she would have to face strong grandmasters," they said. Not a problem, I told them. Discussions are still ongoing, but we can expect to see Bodhana playing for Hamburg in the near future.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Adding a couple more, including Leonard Barden's column (which was first linked from the other thread) and Tarjei Svenson's chess.com piece:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/bodhana ... nal-master

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/ ... -on-friday

The 2-minute interview from the European Chess Union:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rXGbtBaTxN0

A 40-minute interview with Chessbase India:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E57EHoOsXOo

Apart from the piece in 'The Guardian' the mainstream UK media are either pending (later in the week) or may not happen until much later or not at all (e.g. other news taking priority).

There is an argument to say that the news coverage of the WGM title achievement has (so far) got more coverage because it is easy for the public and news editors to understand "youngest ever" (with no caveats) and to understand what a "grandmaster" is. Explaining the difference between that and this title to a readership who read about the WGM title very recently is not easy, and the same applies to the news editors who are having this explained to them by their reporters (if the reporters are savvy enough to know this).

The speed at which Bodhana achieved the IM title is impressive (three months from first norm to 2400 and third norm) and overlapped with her WGM norms (two of the WGM norms used in that title application were also IM norms). This is not unique - others have done it faster though not many.

I do expect more news stories (the Indian press have already covered it, but in much the same way). But maybe not as much as might be expected (for the reasons above). This might be a good thing in some ways.

The ECF are celebrating it, but the cut-through to the same sort of coverage that the WGM title got needs something more (even the Polgar record being broken is not something today's general media audience will recognise).

The longer news pieces that may appear later will probably take the angle of the aim and the journey to break the few records left (e.g. 2500, first GM norm, GM title - none of these are guaranteed - it gets much tougher from here on, particularly as her K value is now down to 10 and people will prepare properly for her and be more cautious).

The shock value of playing a very strong 11 year old still holds. If you watch the video here of her defeating the Belarus IM Olga Badelka there is some interesting body language:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Esk7yN8mTXw

While the resignation is polite and respectful, the colour in Badelka's cheeks betray her conflicting emotions at losing. Possibly this is something that happens every time she loses, but it is also possible she did not expect to be so thoroughly outplayed in that time pressure zone by someone so young.

It will be interesting to see the schedule Bodhana's coaches and family plan for her over the coming year, which it must be remembered is her first at a new school. As others have said, getting the balance right is important. It seems they have succeeded so far, let's hope that continues (there is plenty of time for records and the focus must be on developing as a chess player, which is both an individual thing and also a well-worn track trodden by others where periods of consolidation of playing strength are just as important as, and underpin later meteoric increases).

(For the record, the other Polgar record of being the youngest GM ever aged 15 is probably out of reach because it has subsequently been lowered to 12 years and 4 months and 25 days by Abhimanyu Mishra in 2021 and will almost certainly be lowered still further by Roman Shogdzhiev who needs one more norm which will probably not be difficult - possibly more difficult will be for Shogdzhiev to reach 2500 by June 2027 from his current rating of 2445. If Bodhana continues to progress, next summer and the one after might see more milestones aged 12 and 13, or she might continue to surprise us even earlier.)

(The youngest woman to be awarded the open Grandmaster title is currently Hou Yifan in 2008 at 14 years 6 months and 2 days. The Wikipedia article and listing of women who are grandmasters is very good:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_f ... andmasters

Hou Yifan's norms in 2008 are interesting:

https://ratings.fide.com/crt/main3996.jpg

Aeroflot (4.5/9 against 9 GMs), World Junior Championships (9/13) and then runner up in 2008 Women's World Chess Championships!

[Humpy Koneru's first GM norm was at the Hotel Lipa International in June 2001 aged 14 years and 2 months.]

Fun fact: all 44 of the women awarded the Open GM title are still alive, the oldest being Nona Gaprindashvili at 85 - that would make some group photo!)

(The other records are youngest female ever to score a GM norm [probably Hou Yifan's first GM norm at Aeroflot on 22 February 2008, aged 13 years, 11 months and 26 days] and youngest UK player to score a GM norm [currently Shreyas Royal in 2022 at 13 years 9 months]).

(Final note: there are others a few years older than Bodhana in the 2400s, such as India's Modipalli Deekshitha:

https://ratings.fide.com/profile/33389454/chart

Deekshitha is still a WCM and has only one IM norm, but a good example of how a high K of 40 and playing lots of chess can lead to a massive jump in rating without the titles - Bodhana's progression has been steadier but the numbers of juniors coming through these days performing like this is increasing, although still relatively rare - as Malcolm Pein said, Bodhana is without doubt a "generational talent".)

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Missed one article (the English-Indian edition of MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/wh ... r-AA2fWgJz

Also picked up in Uzbekistan:

https://zamin.uz/en/sport/225445-bodhan ... story.html

One more here (from the chess websites):

https://worldchess.com/news/bodhana-siv ... in-history

[Christopher Kreuzer]

A blog from Lib Dem blogger Jonathan Calder (mostly quoting from elsewhere but also commenting on her "mature positional style", which is apparent even to those like him [and me] with much lower ratings):

https://liberalengland.blogspot.com/202 ... r.html?m=1

And the ECF now have a news item up:

https://www.englishchess.org.uk/bodhana ... ld-record/

The English Chess Federation congratulates Bodhana, her family and her coaches on another historic achievement.

Having watched the 45-minute Chessbase India video (link in a previous post) where Bodhana talks through her games, I am struck by how even compared to a video interview she gave a few months ago she is much more confident about giving her views and explaining her thought processes, while also understanding the limits. That sweet spot of understanding between uncertainty and over-confidence.

Also, both the woman interviewing Bodhana at the tournament and the Chessbase India interviewer (IM Sagar Shah) seem absolutely certain that she is nailed on to become a GM soon (though 'soon' can cover a lot here).

I should know the ECU interviewer's name... she said (responding to Bodhana saying she wanted to get to GM soon): "I don't have any concerns about that. I think you are on the up and up and on an amazing trajectory." (accompanied by polite chuckles and friendly smiles)

Sagar Shah said (at the end of the 40-minute interview): "Welcome to the IM club [...] you won't remain in that club for very long [...] you will be a GM soon."

It is interesting that such commentators are confident enough to say this. Probably because they have seen this trajectory before and can recognise what they are seeing.

I wonder what those who may face her at the London Chess Classic are thinking?

[NickFaulks]

It is interesting that such commentators are confident enough to say this. Probably because they have seen this trajectory before and can recognise what they are seeing.

As a general rule, and in the absence of lockdown distortions, players who achieve their IM title at an early age, say by 13, get GM about two years later.

Gukesh was unusual in taking under a year.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Thank you, Nick. I am sure you are right, but can you point me to anywhere where the numbers have been documented?

I am sure it is relatively easy (with access to the right database) to establish average time between IM and GM (where the IM goes on to become GM) and any link between age at IM and time elapsed to GM, but if that analysis has been published anywhere that would be good to see.

The time elapsed at later ages would lengthen (e.g. Ameet Ghasi is a good example), in some cases to never attaining GM. Is there some cutoff point where all those who attain IM by a certain (young) age have gone on to be GM (absent external factors)? Not sure if that could also be established.

Shorter version of the above: where do you get "as a general rule" and "say, by 13" and "about two years" from? Is it anecdotal, an impression you have?

[Leonard Barden]

https://www.ft.com/content/2643c89a-6e7 ... 25a6b1a6=1

[Ian Thompson]

Is there some cutoff point where all those who attain IM by a certain (young) age have gone on to be GM (absent external factors)? Not sure if that could also be established.

There's at least one player, whose name I've forgotten, who got the GM title by dint of winning the World Senior championship. That was probably several decades after he got the IM title.

[JustinHorton]

I quite like the observation that no woman who has earned the Grandmaster title has ever died

[Christopher Kreuzer]

https://www.ft.com/content/2643c89a-6e7 ... 25a6b1a6=1

Good point made in Leonard's FT article about the difference between amateurs and professionals.

Love this comment over on the FT article (in reply to another comment):

Why would you ask A.I.? You just had the question answered by the longest-running chess journalist of all time!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I quite like the observation that no woman who has earned the Grandmaster title has ever died

I was only half joking that it would be really amazing to have a group photo of all 44 if Nona Gaprindashvili is still active. Getting all 44 together might be an issue. Are some of them retired or reclusive? It is amazing that the surge only comes after 2000. Only six before 2001. Five in 2008 alone. Title ages are interesting as well. Half achieved the title under the age of 23. Play around with the table here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_f ... andmasters

Lots of interesting statistics. The peak ratings make sobering reading. Only five have ever been rated over 2600. Peng Zhaoqin's peak rating has only ever been 2472 (she was awarded the GM title by coming second in the European Women's Chess Championship of 2004 - the rules about direct awards were different back then).

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Is there some cutoff point where all those who attain IM by a certain (young) age have gone on to be GM (absent external factors)? Not sure if that could also be established.

There's at least one player, whose name I've forgotten, who got the GM title by dint of winning the World Senior championship. That was probably several decades after he got the IM title.

Are you thinking of Larry Kaufman or Yuri Shabanov?

https://chess.stackexchange.com/questio ... d-to-norms

7 so far. More than I thought.

In addition to the two mentioned in the original question, Jens Kristiansen and Divya Deshmukh, we have:

Yuri Shabanov in 2003 for winning the World Seniors
Larry Kaufman in 2008 for winning the World Seniors
Kenny Solomon in 2015 for winning the African Championship in December 2014
Abdelrahman Hesham in 2016 again for winning the African Championship
Roman Dehtiarov who will be awarded the title for winning the European Championship

Jens Kristiansen won the World Seniors Championship in 2012.
Divya Deshmukh won the Women's World Cup in 2025.

But it is more than 7 - see Peng Zhaoqin above in 2004.

[Ian Thompson]

There's at least one player, whose name I've forgotten, who got the GM title by dint of winning the World Senior championship. That was probably several decades after he got the IM title.

Are you thinking of Larry Kaufman or Yuri Shabanov?

Janis Klovans who became an IM in 1976 and a GM in 1997.

It's quite likely he was of IM, and then GM, standard long before he got the titles because he was unable to play in suitable qualifying tournaments, e.g. the link says he was 40th best player in the world in 1962.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

"Iron John" - "was in the Soviet army wearing a uniform to many events" - you can just imagine that!

Mark Crowther also says this:

he played the very strong Riga 1959 chess tournament (for which I have a very nice daily bulletin, unfortunately it is so brown the photos won't scan)

Would love to see those photos. Maybe copies still exist elsewhere 16 years later?