Overview

• Bodhana Sivanandan, at 10 years and five months old, defeated Grandmaster Peter Wells in the final round of the British Chess Championship to earn her Woman International Master title.
• FIDE confirmed on August 10 that Bodhana’s victory made her the youngest-ever recipient of the WIM title, surpassing Carissa Yip’s 2019 mark.
• In Akron, Ohio, 10-year-old Keya Jha became the youngest American girl to beat a grandmaster in a classical game after GM Bryan Smith lost on time in the Joe Yun Memorial’s final round.
• Both feats occurred the same day, hours apart in Liverpool and Akron, underscoring simultaneous breakthroughs by exceptionally young female prodigies.
• Observers attribute these rapid advancements to expanded youth coaching programs and earlier access to high-level competition since the pandemic.