Uthpala the chess star from Mahamaya

On Jul 20, 2021

20 year old, Uthpala Herath, an old girl of Mahamaya Girls School, Kandy is an outstanding Chess player, who started schooling from Grade One onwards and got through the G.C.E.(A/L) in the year 2020. She started the game of Chess in the year 2011 under the coaching of Priyanganie Ranasinghe and later from Rajeendra Kalugampitiya, Asiri Weerathilake, Asela Prabajith and Dulan Edirisinghe

She won the team Chess Championship at the Provincial Chess Tournament in 2012 at the Under 12 team Championship. She became Champion in 2013 and in 2014 in the under 13 and Under15 Central Province Girls School Chess Championship and again in 2015 at the Under 17 and Under 20 Girls School Chess championships.

She was selected as the Best Chess player on Board II at the Sri Lanka National Schools team Chess Championship in 2017 and in the Under 20 Girls Championship she became first with the team members, Yasilini Thuduwage, Harshara Abeysinghe,Shalini Ranasinghe,Naduni Peththanayake,Nuwani Peththanayake and Surani Rathnayake.

Uthpala was selected as the Best on Board VI at the Sri Lanka National Schools team Chess championship in 2018 at the under 20 Girls School tournament. In 2019 she got the 2nd place at the same Championship in under 20 Girls and she was awarded colours for Chess at the Chess championship organized by the Zonal Education Dept. for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019.

She represented the Commonwealth Chess Championship in 2016 and in 2017 at the Asian Schools Championship in the Under 17 Girls Championship held in Panjin,China and finished within the Top Ten. Represented the 14th Asian Schools Championship in 2018 held in Sri Lanka at the under 17 Girls team in which she got the fifth place and she was awarded the Country Medal which was her biggest achievement.

Then she became the Under 17 Girls Champion at the Chess championship held in Mumbai,India in 2019. Before that in 2017 she was selected to the World Schools Chess Championship held in Romania but she could not make the trip due to unavoidable circumstances.and in the year 2019 at the Under 18 World Youth Chess championship held in Mumbai,India she was unsuccessful. In 2019 she participated at the Asian Chess Championship held in Sri Lanka at the Under 18 Girls Chess Tournament.

Uthpala has got through her Advanced level in the commerce stream with good results and she is awaiting to be selected to the University. Her ambition is to improve her studies further to the highest level while being an outstanding Chess player and bring fame to her Country.