Bodhana Sivanandan Becomes Youngest Female International Master in Chess

Bodhana Sivanandan, a British chess player who is 11 years old with Indian descent, earned the title of the youngest ever female International Master (IM) on 23rd of October 2026. This was following her earning of the last IM norm after beating Viktoria Johansson of Sweden in the final round at the European Club Cup held in Budva, Montenegro. This development comes at a time when there is increased awareness regarding the title system of FIDE and the difference between open and women’s titles.

How Bodhana Sivanandan Created Chess History

The IM norm was secured by Sivanandan in the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro while participating in the match in board one position for She Plays To Win Lionesses A. She won against Swedish woman international master Viktoria Johansson in the final round which was the seventh round and she scored 5.5 points in seven rounds and her performance rating in the tournament was 2,465.

At 11 years, seven months and 16 days, Sivanandan smashed the record set by Hungarian chess prodigy Judit Polgar who became an international master when she was 12 years old in 1988. Sivanandan is now the seventh youngest player overall to reach the norms for becoming an international master.

Definition of the International Master Title

International Master is one of the most common titles granted by the International Federation of Chess, whose acronym is FIDE. This title is open, that is, all players regardless of their gender can obtain it. The higher title than the International Master title is the Grandmaster (GM).

The main requirements for the IM title are as follows,

• Three IM norms: Performance in a tournament that satisfies certain requirements according to the rules of FIDE.
• FIDE standard rating equal to 2,400 or more: The player should reach the required rating.
• Eligibility for the tournament: The requirements for the norms depend on opponents’ titles, their ratings, format of the tournament, and many other criteria.

It is important to emphasize that a norm is not a title. A norm is the result of performance needed for the title.

Difference between GM, IM and Women’s Chess Titles

FIDE offers both general titles as well as distinct women’s titles. A woman may earn any one of the two types of titles.

Title	Full form	Minimum rating requirement*
GM	Grandmaster	2,500
IM	International Master	2,400
WGM	Woman Grandmaster	2,300
WIM	Woman International Master	2,200