Bodhana Adds More Records With 1st IM Norm, 2600+ GM Win

However, the main story of this piece is yet another one of Bodhana’s record-breaking performances. Bodhana finished the nine-round Masters tournament with 5/9 and a 2463 rating performance after facing four grandmasters and two international masters.

Her second WGM norm had already been secured with one round remaining. In the final round, she held IM Samrug Narayanan to a draw in a long endgame to score an IM norm as well. 

It was a remarkable return to the tournament where she, almost on the day one year ago, had become the youngest to ever score a WGM norm. This time the English prodigy went one step further and made history before the norm was even secured.

Bodhana began the tournament with a bang, as she scored the biggest win of her career, defeating 2628-rated GM Marc’Andria Maurizzi. The 19-year-old is no ordinary 2600-level opponent, having won the 2023 World Junior Championship and last year also becoming the French Champion. The teenager also had one of 2025’s best tournament performance when he won the Djerba Open with a spectacular 2900 performance, scoring 7.5/9.

Maurizzi held the advantage in much of the game, but the position changed dramatically after 27…Qb6?, after he was forced to give up his queen. She had no problems converting the material advantage, and he resigned on move 39.

At 11 years, 4 months, and 11 days, Bodhana becomes the youngest girl known to have defeated a grandmaster rated over 2600. FIDE does not track these age-related statistics, but the record was likely held by GM Hou Yifan, who defeated GM Nikita Vitiugov two weeks before her 13th birthday. As a side note, Hou followed up the next day by also defeating 2629-rated GM Emil Sutovsky. 

It’s worth noting that only five players in history have ever defeated a 2600+ opponent at a younger age than Bodhana, according to Chess.com’s research. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov holds that record, while FM Ashwath Kaushik has the record as the youngest to defeat any grandmaster.

Youngest Players Known To Defeat A 2600+ Opponent

The historic opening-round win was only the start of Bodhana’s remarkable performance. Later in the tournament, she held GMs Maxim Rodshtein and Paul Velten to draws, and then defeated FM Thomas Morais. Her last-round draw secured the norm.

Her IM norm makes her the youngest girl to achieve an IM norm, a record that was previously held by GM Judit Polgar, who earned her first IM norm at the New York Open in 1988. Bodhana, at 11 years, 4 months, and 19 days, has lowered that record by almost four months. 

Bodhana’s achievement adds to an extraordinary list of records since she first emerged as an international chess sensation. At eight, she became England’s first World Youth Champion in 25 years as she swept the girls’ under-eight world titles in classical, rapid, and blitz with a perfect combined score of 33/33. 

At nine, she became the youngest player to score a WIM norm and then the youngest to represent England at a Chess Olympiad. After becoming the youngest player to score a WGM norm, she earned her third WIM norm at the 2025 British Championship at 10 years, five months, and three days, breaking GM Zhansaya Abdumalik’s previous record for the youngest WIM by approximately a year. She completed the title by defeating GM Peter Wells in the final round, which also made her the youngest girl ever to defeat a grandmaster in a classical game.

Earlier this year, shortly after turning 11, she also crossed 2300 to earn the FM title, making her higher rated than Polgar was at the same age.

• Youngest national women’s chess champion
• Youngest player known to score a WIM norm
• Youngest player to represent England at a Chess Olympiad
• Youngest player to score a WGM norm
• Youngest player to earn the WIM title
• Youngest girl to defeat a grandmaster in classical
• Youngest girl to score an IM norm
• Youngest girl to defeat a 2600-rated player in classical

Sivanandan now has two WGM norms and one IM norm. She needs one more WGM norm to complete that title, already having achieved the required 2300 rating, while the IM title requires two additional norms and a rating of 2400.

Nepomniachtchi Struggles, 11-Year-Old Scores 3rd IM Norm

Another standout performance came from Norwegian GM Aksel Bu Kvaloy. The 17-year-old began as the 54th seed, but finished eighth on 7/9 and a 2685 performance. His biggest victory came in round five, when he won over top seed GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. 

The 2735-rated two-time Candidates winner struggled in the tournament, and was also held by 2439-rated GM Yair Parkhov in round two and 2498-rated IM Patryk Cieslak in round four. The loss to Kvaloy left him with only 3/5.

Nepomniachtchi followed up with three straight wins, but then lost again in the final round against GM Gergely Kantor. In the end, he finished 25th with 6/9, dropping 16 rating points to 2719, his lowest rating in ten years.

Another 11-year-old prodigy also left Aix-en-Provence with a major achievement. FM Advik Amit Agrawal scored 5.5/9 and a 2456 performance, which secured him his third IM norm. He still lacks 25 rating points to secure the IM title, but it’s only a matter of time before he crosses the threshold.

Agrawal earned his first norm at the Baku Open in May, where he scored 5.5/9, produced a 2486 performance, and reportedly crossed the 2400 rating barrier. His second followed at the Pune International GM Round Robin earlier in July, where he scored 5/9 against a field containing three grandmasters and several international masters.