British chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, aged 10, defeated 60-year-old grandmaster Peter Wells in the final round of the 2025 British Chess Championships in Liverpool on 10 August, according to the International Chess Federation (FIDE). At 10 years, 5 months and 3 days, she becomes the youngest female player ever to beat a grandmaster, surpassing the 2019 mark set by American Carissa Yip. FIDE said the victory also secured Sivanandan the woman international master title, placing her one step below the coveted grandmaster rank. Sivanandan, who began playing chess at the age of five during the Covid-19 lockdown, has already represented England at the 2024 Chess Olympiad and is widely tipped by national coaches as a future contender for the world championship.