Sri Lanka win two golds, a silver and a bronze
Oshini
Sri Lanka’s top ranked, International Master Harshana Thilakarathne, won the gold medal in the most important Under-18 Open category of the Western Asian Online Youth Chess Championship, which concluded last week. Harshana, from Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, played excellent chess and was the leader from the first round, as he maintained his consistency to win the gold medal convincingly.
He beat Aljabari A. Mohammad and Radwan J. Mahmoud, both of Palestine), FIDE Master Anees M. Mohamed of India, Alisher Mazhkenov of Kazakhstan, Dhingra Aaditya of India and Parviz Khazaei of Iran, while drawing with Zadeh Alireza Bosagh of Iran and Ranjan Aryan of India. But he lost one game to his team mate Susal de Silva to score 7 points out of possible 9 games.
Young Oshini Devindya Gunawardena, who is the current Under-10 Girls World Chess champion, showed her supremacy by winning the gold medal of her age category at this championship. Despite unfortunately losing her second game to Indian R. Charudharshini, she recovered well scoring wins against all other opponents.
Susal
She found it not hard to beat Indians Ridhima Bhuchar, A. Anjana, Reya Banker, Dessai Saeeja Gunesh, S. Ukkali Krupa and Dongre Anshika, Rosha Akbari of Iran and fellow compatriot G.H.S. Sanulya, to score 8 points out of 9 games and win the event. Oshini is from Ferguson High School, Ratnapura and is coached by Akhila Kavinda, a prominent chess trainer in the country.
Prominent youth player, Susal de Silva of Nalanda College won the silver in Under-18 category after winning with the champion in the crucial penultimate round. He also suffered two early losses in second and third rounds to Ranjan Arayan of India and team mate Kusalwin Liyanage, but made a miracle by scoring 6½ points out of rest of 7 games to win the silver medal. He beat Hamood Al Busaidi of Oman, Mahmoud J. Radwan of Palestine, Essa Albalooshi Khalifa of the UAE, Parviz Khazaei of Iran, Dhingra Aaditya of India and Alisher Mazhkenov of Kazakhatan to score 6½ points out of 9 games.
Esandi
Newansa Esandi of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda won the bronze medal in the Under-12 Girls’ category after scoring 6½ points out of 9 games. She beat team mate Hasandi Anujana, Indians Sachi Jain and Sirin Kalyani, Essa Alserkal Rouda of the UAE, Iranians Rashti Asal Ebrahimi Abaeva Aiana and drew with Mahsa Alavi of Iran. He two losses came against Iranians Imani Adrina and Sara Davari.
India and Iran were in close contest in the medal hunt as both countries shared equal honours at the end of the comeptition. India won five gold medals — in Under-16 Open by Jimmy Jubbin with a score of 7½ out of 9 games, in Under-14 Open and Girls by Sahib Singh with a score of 7½ out of 9 games and Anupam Sreekumar with a score of 8½ points out of 9, in Under-10 Open by Zaz Ethan with 7½ points out of 9 and in Under-8 Open by B. Vishruth, with a score of 8 points out of 9 games.
Harshana
Iran won four gold medals. They were in Under-18 Girls by Melika Mohammadi, with a score of 7½ points out of 9 games, in Under 16 Girls again by Melika, who made a perfect score of 9 out of 9 games, in Under-12 Open by Armin Gholami, with a score of 8 points out of 9 games and in Under-12 Girls by Sara Davari with a perfect score of 9 out of 9 games.
The Western Asian Online Youth Chess Championship was conducted by the Asian Chess Federation and was organised by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka. A total of 850 players participated in this biggest online chess event of Asia played on Tornelo Platform. The time control was 15 minutes, and an addition of 10 seconds for each move played. Players representing Bangladesh, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Maldives, Nepal, Oman, Palestine, Syria, UAE, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka participated at this event.
Winners of each age group were selected to play in the FIDE World Youth and Cadet Chess Grand Prix 2021 to be conducted by the International Chess Federation. Two Sri Lankan players, International Master Harshana Thilakarathne and Oshini Gunawardena were selected for the international events by virtue.
