9-Year-Old Bodhana Sivanandan Among Youngest Ever To Score WIM Norm

WCM Bodhana Sivanandan reached another milestone this weekend. She scored the best result of her career so far, achieving her first woman international master norm.

The European Women's Championship concluded in Rhodes, Greece on Monday, ending in clear first for IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva from Azerbaijan. Her victory wasn't the only noteworthy story coming out of the event.

Sivanandan, who turned nine only last month, has already made headlines over the last year as one of the world's greatest prospects with performances that are almost unprecedented in chess history. In Greece, her remarkable rise continued.

The schoolgirl from London scored the best result of her career, earning her first woman's international master title norm. According to Chess.com's unofficial research, she is likely the youngest player to ever score such a norm.

Two more norms, and a rating of at least 2200, are required to secure the title. With her performance in Greece, she is on track to become the youngest to ever achieve the WIM title. The record is held by GM Zhansaya Abdumalik who achieved the title at 11 years and 5 months in 2011. 

Bodhana Sivanandan gets her 1st WIM norm at age nine!! 🥳
She played extremely solid throughout the event against almost all higher-rated opponents!https://t.co/3ug6hcQEgr
📷: Jim Laga#chess #womeninchess #EWCC24 https://t.co/axjHa39qKQ pic.twitter.com/ysgGoTwq0M

— Women's Chess Coverage (@OnTheQueenside) April 28, 2024

Sivanandan clinched the norm as she scored 4.5 points after nine rounds, equal to a rating performance of 2265. In the end, she gained 73 rating points and is set to break the 2100 barrier for the first time.

Her best result was the round-two victory vs. WIM Mariam Mkrtchyan. "Her combination of dynamic and strategic play shows her exceptional depth of understanding for a nine-year-old," Chess.com's NM Vanessa West wrote in the tournament report.

Her combination of dynamic and strategic play shows her exceptional depth of understanding for a nine-year-old.

—NM Vanessa West

After the game, Sivanandan said: "I'm happy to be here... I'm trying to win all the games."

The nine-year-old also made impressive draws against strong players such as IM Lilit Mkrtchian, IM Gulnar Mammadova, and WGM Elvira Berend, all hundreds of points higher rated.

Nine-year-old WCM Bodhana Sivanandan🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 continues with fantastic play in the European Women’s Chess Championship 2024! Today she drew against WGM Elvira Berend🇱🇺 and earns 80+ rating points!

After the game, Bodhana and Elvira went to the analysis area to exchange their thoughts… pic.twitter.com/hk7AaeOSwC

— European Chess Union (@ECUonline) April 27, 2024

Noteworthy is also her six-hour game against her compatriot, Chess.com commentator IM Jovanka Houska, which ended with checkmate after 131 moves—in Houska's favor.

"Bodhana tries her best in every tournament to play some good chess. I am not sure whether she is fully aware of the WIM norm, but overall she enjoyed the tournament at Rhodes, meeting some strong and experienced players," her father Sivanandan Velayutham told Chess.com.

He explains the recent progress with lots of classical chess, which she is enjoying as much as rapid and blitz. "She is enjoying her chess journey so far," he says.

In February, Bodhana achieved the third highest rating for an eight-year-old ever, behind only FM Faustino Oro (2140) and GM Illya Nyzhnyk (2131). The ChessKid ambassador is currently ranked second among players born in 2015 or later, behind Leonid Ivanovic, and the fourth highest rated under 10 years old.

Sivanandan made history in October when she became England's first world youth champion in 25 years, achieving the triple crown by winning titles in classical, rapid, and blitz. In December, she sensationally won the women's prize in the European Blitz Chess Championship.