Pesandu, Senuja, Chanindi and Minethma bag gold medals
Pesandu Rashmitha Liyanage of D.S. Senanayake College, Senuja Thimeth Alwela of Bandarawela Central College, Chanindi Mewna Attanayake of Devi BalikaVidyalaya and Minethma Lasandi Wickramasinghe of Sujatha Vidyalaya won the main titles of the Western 1 Open, North Western Open, Western 2 Women’s and Southern Women’s events respectively of the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship Cycle 2021.
Six points were written in front of Pesandu’s name at the end of seven rounds and he was able to stay unbeaten until the end. The two games he shared were against Insara Nanayakkara and Isara Banidu Dahanayaka, who were tied in the second position. Also, Pesandu defeated Yasantha Jayaweera in the last moment, to end his unbeaten streak and earn top points in the Western 1 Open.
Due to the lack of half a point and with the advantage in tie-brakes Isara Banidu Dahanayake of Royal College, was placed second of the Western I Open event with an unbeaten score. The three games he shared were with Y. Jayaweera, Pesandu and Brijesh Saravanabavan. Meanwhile V.T. Malitha Rohana of Ananda College also scored 5½ points but had to satisfy with the bronze medal with the little advantage in tie breaker than the fourth and fifth placed players. He managed to win five games and the game played in the fifth round with Nabil Nazar Mohamad was drawn. The game he lost was played against the second runner-up, Isara Banidu Dahanayake. Other players had 5½ points as Isara, Rohana, Brijesh and Luchitha Pathirana.
Chanindi Mewna Attanayake was crowned the winner of Western 2 Women’s event after a hard-fought battle. Her victory was due to the six games she won out of the seven rounds and the advantage of tie-breakers. The only game she lost was against R.M. Dulinma Hemamalini Rathnayaka.
The silver medal of this event was won by Tharuli Vihansa Ranganath of Yoshida International School. She won the same number of points as Chanindi, but was unfortunate to have less advantage in tie-breakers. The only game she lost was against Chanindi, the champion of the event. The bronze medal of the event went to Nemindi Lilanaya Ramanayake of Bandaranayake Central College, Veyangoda and she was able to win 5 points out of the seven rounds played and the only game she lost was against Tharuli Vihansa. And the other point she lost was due to the couple of drawn games with Kavisha Indrajith and Oneli Vithanawasam in the third and fourth rounds respectively.
Senuja Thimeth Alwela of Bandarawela Central College managed to win the championship and the gold medal in the North Western/Uva and Ratnapura Open event by winning 6 points out of the seven games played. The only game he lost was to K.G.S.T.D. Kiriella of Maliyadeva College, who won the silver medal. He was unbeaten and the games he shared were played against A.I. Dharmasiri and S.D.B.K. Senevirathne. The bronze medal of the North Western event went in favour of C.M.S. Praneeth Kumara of U.S.J.P. Chess Club. He earned 5.5 points out of seven games and A.M.N.R. Attanayake, who won the same number of points had to be satisfied with the fourth place due to disadvantage in tie-breakers. The only game Praneeth lost was against the champion of the event, Alwela and the game he played against S.D.B.K. Senevirathne in the last round, was shared between two players.
Minethma Lasandi Wickramasinghe of Sujatha Vidyalaya secured the championship of the Southern Women’s event with 6.5 points in the hand and the only game she drew was against Minudi Devindi Ranasinghe. With a difference of a point, S.N.K. de Silva of Dharmasoka College was able to win the silver medal and she lost her game to the champion and the last round game was shared with P.W.G. Gaveshi Wickramarathne. After a tough battle, M. Esandi Newansa of Dharmasoka College won the bronze medal of the event with 5 points and the other player who won the same number of points, H. Methushi Amaya Fernando had to satisfy with the fourth place due to less advantage in tie-breakers.
The Chess Federation of Sri Lanka (CFSL) is organising a comprehensive Online Rapid Chess
Championship Cycle for the first time in Sri Lanka , which started from the first week of June. Seven Novices Division events and seven Women’s Novices Division events were finished by mid-August successfully.
“This event is the selection trial for the National Chess Championship as well as the International Online Rapid Chess Championships in the future. The event will help all chess players to stay at home at this difficult time with supporting to grow their playing strength. All games are played with a time control of 15 minutes and an increment of 10 second for each move played. The event is being held on the Chess.com platform with all the fair play regulations approved by FIDE,” stated Luxman Wijesuriya, the President of CFSL.
The remaining Major Division events will be held in this weekend with the Northern Open, Southern Open, Central with Kegalle Women, North Western and Uva with Ratnapura Women. The whole event is scheduled in six stages of the National Online Major Division Chess Championships with Western 1, Western 2, Central with Kegalle, North Western with Ratnapura, Southern and Northern.
Eligibility to qualify is with rating greater than 1199 and less than 1899 and the selected players from relevant Novices Chess Championship for the Open Section. For Women’s events players with rating greater than 1099 and less than 1599 and qualified players from Women Novices in the respective regions.
The qualification for Online National Premier will be for the first 20 players in the starting rank
list while 10 players will qualify. For every subsequent five players and an additional player will qualify.
The Online National Premier Division Chess Championship will be held with the final Swiss System event of 11 rounds. All qualified from the Major Division and players with more than 1900 and Women with over 1600 rating will be eligible to participate in the event. The first 16 players will qualify for the finals of Online National Chess Championship 2021.
Under the first stage a Round Robin event will take place for the first 16 players of National ‘B’ Chess Championships 2021, followed by the second stage which includes a knockout event among top four players with the semi-finals, the finals and a consolation final.