England’s 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest girl in history to qualify for the international master (IM) title, breaking Judit Polgar’s record which had stood for 38 years. Her development is keeping pace with the absolute best in the world; Gukesh Dommaraju and Javokhir Sindarov, whose world championship match begins in November, both earned their IM title a few months before their 12th birthdays. Her achievement comes a month after she qualified for the women’s grandmaster title (WGM), playing on top board for England’s women’s team at the Olympiad in Samarkand. The next major milestone is the grandmaster (GM) title.

    Sivanandan’s final qualifying IM result came at the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, where she represented the English club ‘She Plays to Win Lionesses’. Her distinctive skill in endgames has been widely praised. But in the following game she faced a brilliant rook sacrifice in the middlegame, which left her on the brink of defeat. Many would have buckled, but a volley of tactics in return bamboozled her opponent and turned the tables.

Ena Cvitan-Bodhana Sivanandan

European Club Cup, October 2026

1 c4 c6 2 e4 d5 3 cxd5 cxd5 4 exd5 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nxd5 6 Nf3 Nxc3 7 bxc3 g6 8 d4 Bg7 9 Bd3 O-O 10 O-O Nc6 11 Re1 Qd6 12 a4 Rd8 13 Ba3 Qc7 14 Qe2 Bf6 15 Nd2 Be6 16 Ne4 Na5 17 Bb4 Rac8 18 Qf3 Kg7 19 Rab1 Nc6 20 Ba3 b6 21 Rb5 Qd7 22 Bc1 Bd5 23 Qf4! Bxe4? 23…Na5 was more stubborn, but 24 h4! maintains considerable pressure. 24 Qh6+ Kg8 (see diagram 1) 25 Rh5!! A thunderous shot. Qg4 A resourceful try, vacating an exit for the king on d7. Instead 25…Bxd3 26 Qxh7+ Kf8 27 Bh6+ Ke8 28 Qg8 is mate, or 25…gxh5 26 Bxe4 e6 27 Bxh7+ Kh8 28 Bg6+ Kh8 29 Qh7+ Kf8 30 Ba3+ wins. 26 Qxh7+ Kf8 27 Rg5! A crucial follow up. 27…Bxg5 28 Qh8 is mate! Qe6! 28 Rxe4 28 Bxe4! was the correct path, but 28…Nxd4!? muddies the waters. Then 29 Rxg6! fxg6 31 Bh6+ Ke8 32 Bxg6+ wins the queen and the game. Qb3! 29 Be3? Very natural, but the advantage is now gone. 29 Rxg6 fxg6 30 Qxg6 Qf7 31 Qg4 was a promising rook sacrifice, but hard to judge.

Nxd4!! 30 Bxd4? 30 cxd4? Qxd3 also loses. Only 30 h4!! Rxc3 31 h5 keeps the balance, e.g. 31…Rxd3 32 hxg6 Bg7 33 gxf7 Qxf7 34 Rxg7 Nf3+! 35 gxf3 Qxg7+ 36 Qxg7+ Kxg7 37 Rxe7+ peters out to a draw. Rxd4 31 Rxd4 31 cxd4 Rc1+ 32 Bf1 Qd3! wins Bxd4 32 h4 32 cxd4 Rc1+ 33 Bf1 Rxf1+ 34 Kxf1 Qd1 mate! Rxc3 33 h5 Rxd3 34 hxg6 fxg6 35 Rxg6 Rd1+ 36 Kh2 Be5+ 37 g3 Qf7 38 Qh6+ Bg7 White resigns