The British prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan claimed another historic milestone at the European Club Cup in Montenegro. Playing on board one for She Plays To Win Lionesses A, the 11-year-old secured her third and final International Master norm by defeating WIM Viktoria Johansson in the tournament's final round. Bodhana finished with a score of 5.5 out of 7 games and a rating performance of 2465, completing the requirements for the IM title.

At 11 years, seven months, and 16 days, Bodhana surpassed a record held by GM Judit Polgar since 1988. The Hungarian legend earned the IM title at 12 years old before becoming the strongest female player in chess history. Bodhana is now the seventh-youngest player overall to qualify for the title and one of only ten players to achieve it before turning 12.

The tournament run showcased her resilience across the board. After losing her opening-round game against GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, she struck back with multiple wins, including a victory over IM Olga Badelka. In round four, she put pressure on five-time Georgian Women's champion GM Nino Batsiashvili throughout their encounter, forcing a draw.

Bodhana earned all three of her IM norms within three months. Her first came at the Dole Open in France in July, where she also became the youngest girl to beat a player rated above 2600 in classical chess. Her second norm followed at September's Chess Olympiad, where she played every round on England's top board and simultaneously earned her final Woman Grandmaster norm.

When asked about her success immediately after the tournament, Bodhana remained focused on the next challenge. She expressed her happiness at achieving the IM title while setting her sights on the Grandmaster title. She also welcomed comparisons to Polgar, calling the Hungarian the greatest female player of all time and expressing hope to reach similar heights.

GM Mert Erdogdu, who has coached Sivanandan since January, attributed her rapid progress to her dedication and love of the game. He noted working with her four times weekly alongside her training with legendary coach GM John Emms. IM Malcolm Pein of the English Chess Federation described her as a generational talent whose positional play, sound technique, and endgame prowess have made recent achievements feel almost inevitable.