England's rising chess sensation Bodhana Sivanandan continues to rewrite the record books after producing the biggest victory of her young career by defeating French Grandmaster Marc'Andria Maurizzi at the Dole Trophy in Aix-en-Provence. The 11-year-old Harrow schoolgirl stunned Maurizzi, the reigning French champion and the 2023 World Under-20 champion, in the opening round of the prestigious tournament. With a FIDE rating of 2628, Maurizzi became the highest-rated grandmaster Sivanandan has defeated to date.&nbsp;Although the French grandmaster controlled much of the game during the opening stages, the momentum shifted dramatically after move 27 when Maurizzi made a costly tactical mistake that allowed Sivanandan to win his queen, leaving him with insufficient compensation. The remarkable victory established a new world age record for the youngest girl to defeat a grandmaster rated above 2600.&nbsp;The previous record belonged to legendary Hungarian chess icon Judit Polgar, who defeated Grandmaster Lajos Portisch during the 1988 Hungarian Championship at the age of 12 years and two months. Portisch was a former World Championship challenger and one of the strongest players of his era. At just 11 years and four months old, Sivanandan also became the fifth-youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster rated above 2600. She joins an elite list that includes Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who achieved the feat at age nine, Faustino Oro at 10, and Roman Shogdzhiev and R. Praggnanandhaa at 11 years and one month.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-world-cup-final-replay-spain-star-reacts-as-argentina-fans-80-000-signature-petition-takes-the-internet-by-storm-1784902042493">FIFA World Cup final replay? Spain star reacts as Argentina Fans' 80,000-signature petition takes the internet by storm</a>&nbsp;Sivanandan was unable to extend her winning start in the second round, where she lost to Israeli International Master Benny Aizenberg. However, she bounced back impressively in the third round by holding Israeli Grandmaster Maxim Rodshtein to a draw. Rodshtein, currently Israel's second-highest-ranked player, reached a peak FIDE rating of 2710 and has previously won both the Israeli Championship and the prestigious Rilton Cup in Stockholm.&nbsp;After six of the tournament's nine rounds, Sivanandan had collected three points against a field dominated by significantly higher-rated opponents, keeping her firmly in contention for her second Women's Grandmaster (WGM) norm. She earned her first WGM norm at the age of 10 during the same Dole Open in 2025, setting another world age record and further cementing her status as one of the brightest young talents in world chess.

England's 11-year-old chess sensation Bodhana Sivanandan set a world record after defeating 2628-rated Grandmaster Marc'Andria Maurizzi at the Dole Trophy in France

England's rising chess sensation Bodhana Sivanandan continues to rewrite the record books after producing the biggest victory of her young career by defeating French Grandmaster Marc'Andria Maurizzi at the Dole Trophy in Aix-en-Provence. The 11-year-old Harrow schoolgirl stunned Maurizzi, the reigning French champion and the 2023 World Under-20 champion, in the opening round of the prestigious tournament. With a FIDE rating of 2628, Maurizzi became the highest-rated grandmaster Sivanandan has defeated to date. Although the French grandmaster controlled much of the game during the opening stages, the momentum shifted dramatically after move 27 when Maurizzi made a costly tactical mistake that allowed Sivanandan to win his queen, leaving him with insufficient compensation. The remarkable victory established a new world age record for the youngest girl to defeat a grandmaster rated above 2600. The previous record belonged to legendary Hungarian chess icon Judit Polgar, who defeated Grandmaster Lajos Portisch during the 1988 Hungarian Championship at the age of 12 years and two months. Portisch was a former World Championship challenger and one of the strongest players of his era. At just 11 years and four months old, Sivanandan also became the fifth-youngest player ever to defeat a grandmaster rated above 2600. She joins an elite list that includes Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who achieved the feat at age nine, Faustino Oro at 10, and Roman Shogdzhiev and R. Praggnanandhaa at 11 years and one month. Also Read: FIFA World Cup final replay? Spain star reacts as Argentina Fans' 80,000-signature petition takes the internet by storm Sivanandan was unable to extend her winning start in the second round, where she lost to Israeli International Master Benny Aizenberg. However, she bounced back impressively in the third round by holding Israeli Grandmaster Maxim Rodshtein to a draw. Rodshtein, currently Israel's second-highest-ranked player, reached a peak FIDE rating of 2710 and has previously won both the Israeli Championship and the prestigious Rilton Cup in Stockholm. After six of the tournament's nine rounds, Sivanandan had collected three points against a field dominated by significantly higher-rated opponents, keeping her firmly in contention for her second Women's Grandmaster (WGM) norm. She earned her first WGM norm at the age of 10 during the same Dole Open in 2025, setting another world age record and further cementing her status as one of the brightest young talents in world chess.

England's 11-year-old chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan set a world record by defeating 2628-rated Grandmaster Marc'Andria Maurizzi

11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan sets world record with stunning win, beats France’s 2628-rated grandmaster Marc’Andria Maurizzi

Hungary’s prime minister, Peter Magyar, has announced plans to ask Judit Polgár, widely considered the greatest female chess player of all time, to take on the largely ceremonial role of president.

Magyar said he would meet Polgar on Monday to discuss the matter. “Our country needs unity, peace and a president that all Hungarians can be proud of,” he wrote on social media. “Judit Polgár’s name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades.”

PM Peter Magyar wants Judit Polgar as Hungary's next president 

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11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan sets world record with stunning win, beats France’s 2628-rated grandmaster Marc’Andria Maurizzi

PM Peter Magyar wants Judit Polgar as Hungary's next president