Ishini the youngest Lankan to hold Women’s Fide title
View(s):Dilhara Ishini Wickramasinghe of Musaeus College and her brother Banuka Nimsith of Ananda College did well at the World Schools Chess Championships 2014. The event was held in Taipei recently.
Ishini was honoured by awarding the Women’s Fide Masters title and she becomes the youngest to hold that title. Sri Lanka clinched the Gold award in the Under 15 segment and Banuka ended up at the third place in the Under 13 Open.
Ishini and Banuka with the collection of Trophies and Medals they won
From the year 2010 Ishini showed that she possesses a bright future in the field of chess by winning the first place in every national event and was an automatic choice for the national junior squad.
In 2012 and 2013 she secured the top positions in the Colombo International 5th Chess festival and Sri Lanka Open International Rating Chess Championships. Year 2014 was the best year for Ishini, equalling third best at the 7th Colombo International Championship and being the champ in the Under 15 category at the 4th Damso International and Under 15 champ at the Sri Lanka Open International Chess Championship.
Improving day by day this youngster showing prowess now dominates the international scene in her age category by finishing up within the first two positions. Visiting most countries Ishini won the World Schools Chess Selection Tournament 2011 and in Maribor Slovenia she became equal first at the World Youth Chess Championship in 2012 by winning six games. Young Ishini was ranked world number 20 in the Under 13 category at the 8th World Schools Chess championship in Romania 2012 and in the same year represented Sri Lanka at the 8th Asian Chess tournament in Delhi. Winning the championship at the Under 13 girls Sri Lanka Super Thirty II she was qualified to represent the national team as the official player at the 9th World Schools Championship 2013 held in Greece.
Being the Under 15 champ of Sri Lanka Ishini visited Brazil and was awarded with the prestigious Women’s Candidate Chess Master Title. The crowning moment in her career was winning the Gold award in the Under 15 event at the 10th Asian Schools Chess Championship 2014 held in Taichung, Taiwan. This bright prospect of Sri Lanka will accompany the Sri Lankan team to Durban, South Africa today to take part in the World Youth Championship and in November to New Delhi to compete in the Asian Youth Chess Championship.
While the sister holds the Sri Lanka flag high in the international scene her brother Anandian Banuka Nimsith Wickramasinghe also has signs of doing well in chess by winning several International and All Island Individual Team talents, winning the Gold medal at the All island Under 9 Open Individual National Youth Rapid Chess Championship in 2011. Young Banuka held the equal championship for three years from 2010 at the Western province Individual Championships and possessed an international rating of 1536.
Winning the 1st place at the Colombo District Individual Schools Chess Championship 2014 organised by the Schools Chess Association this young Anandian was qualified to play in the Under 13 category in the all island Chess Championship 2014. Based on the performance at that tourney Banuka was selected to represent Sri Lanka at the 10th Asian Schools Championship in Taipei where he finished third equal place in the Under 13 event.
With a bright future ahead these two youngsters are sure to take Sri Lanka to the top of the international chess fraternity.
- Lakshman Ranasinghe
Pix by Ranjith Perera