Mind & Niche

Bodhana Sivanandan needed a booster seat to reach the board, but she was already playing against the strongest women from other countries. The 11-year-old London schoolgirl has now become the youngest player in history to complete the requirements for the Woman Grandmaster title. She secured her final qualifying result while representing England at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. Woman Grandmaster, usually shortened to WGM, is the highest women-only title awarded by FIDE and one of the major international titles in chess. Earning it requires a series of high-level performances against strong opposition. Bodhana achieved the required standard at just 11 years old, breaking the previous age record by almost a year. She is also already...