Susal and Sachini emerge champions
The reigning National chess champion 17-year-old Fide Master, Susal de Silva of Nalanda College, and Women International Master, Sachini Ranasinghe won the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship Open and women’s titles at the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship after successful 13 round games. The promising player Susal is in great form to win the title for the second successive year scoring 10 points out of possible 13 games. Susal who has International experience kept the lead from the beginning, beating his rival Ranindu Liyanage in the 8th round which gave him the much-needed tie-breaking points to win the National title, trophy, gold medal, and cash award of Rs. 112,500.
The Golden Jubilee year Sri Lanka National Chess Championships 2022 – Open & Women’s was conducted by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka for a half a million cash fund. The best 14 players of each section competed in the Round Robin system in 13 rounds supremacy.
Earlier, Susal beat AACB Amarasinghe, Isuru Alahakoon, Dhanushka Bandara, Chandana Wijekoon, SDBK Senevirathne, Brijeash Sarawanabhawan, Ranindu Liyanage and NPG Sithija Lahiru. He drew with Nabil Nazar, KGTSD Kiriealla, Lisara Tennakoon, and Mathanga de Silva and lost only one game to Achinthya Kaluarachchi to earn 10 points. The top seed Fide Master and former National champion Ranindu Liyanage of Ananda College also scored ten points out of the possible 13 games but has to satisfy with the silver medal due to the lack of tie-breaking points. He won a silver medal and a cash award of Rs. 112,500.
Fide Master, Isuru Alahakoon of Sri Lanka Navy managed to place third with 8 ½ points out of 13 games. He won the bronze medal with a Rs. 40,000 cash award.
Thumula Kiriella of Maliyadeva College scored 8 points and earned Rs. 20,000 while Nabil Nazar Mohomed of Gateway College scored 7 ½ points to become fifth and earned Rs. 10,000 in cash. Meanwhile, four times Women’s National Champion and Women International Master, Sachini Ranasinghe won her 5th Women’s National Chess Championship title convincingly scoring 9 points out of the possible 13 games. She beat Pasindi Wijesuriya, Oneli Vithanawasam, Janandani Abeysinghe, Nemindi Ramanayake, Tiumi Yashora, WMMN Wijesinghe, and Wishwara Mapa, and drew with Yasasi Abeysekara, Chamodya Yapabandara, Desandi Gamageand Esha Mihisha Pallie. She had two losses against Sanudula Dahamdi and Minethma Wickramasinghe. She earned the Women’s National Chess Champion Trophy, gold medal, and Rs. 100,000 in cash.
Desandi Gamage of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya won the second spot with 8 ½ points out of 13 games while Janandani Abeysinghe of NSBM Green University managed to win the third place with 8 points.
The top five players in both events are selected for the Sri Lanka National Open and the Women’s Chess teams are to participate in the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 in India.
The awards ceremony of the event was held at Hotel Taj Samudra just after the final round. Luxman Wijesuriya, President CFSL, General Secretary of the Commonwealth Chess Association, and Shiang Wong, Deputy General Manager – Product Marketing of SLT Mobitel being the Main Sponsor of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka distributed the awards to the champions.