10-year-old girl breaks record for the youngest grandmaster

• Bondhana Sivanandan has become the youngest female to achieve the title of grandmaster.
• She started playing chess at the age of 5 and quickly achieved success.
• Bondhana's mother revealed her interest in chess.

The 10-year-old girl named Bondhana Sivanandan has become the youngest female in history to achieve the title of grandmaster.

She defeated 60-year-old grandmaster Peter Wells in the final of the UK Championship held on August 10, 2025, in Liverpool.

Bondhana achieved this success at the age of 10 years, 5 months, and 3 days, surpassing the previous record set by American Carissa Yip, who achieved it at the age of 10 years, 11 months, and 20 days.

After her victory, she received the title of international master among women, which is the second most significant title in women's chess. The highest title is grandmaster, held by such chess players as reigning world champion Hikaru Nakamura and world number one Magnus Carlsen.

She began playing chess at the age of five during the COVID-19 pandemic when she received a chessboard as a gift. Bondhana learned to play by watching videos on YouTube and soon began participating in tournaments.

Bondhana's parents noted that none of their family members had previously achieved success in chess. The girl's mother, Lakshmi Sivanandan, mentioned that her daughter has many interests, including playing piano and football.

Malcolm Payne, director of international chess at the English Chess Federation, believes that Bondhana has the potential to become the best chess player in history.

Tags: Sport