Harshana, Devindya win gold medals

Western Asian Online Youth Chess Championships 2021

Sri Lanka number one ranked, International Master Harshana Thilakarathne and newly crowned Under 10 Girls World Chess Champion Oshini Devindya Gunawardena won their age category golds as the hosts bagged two golds, one silver and a bronze at the Western Asian Online Youth Chess Championships concluded on Monday.

Thilakarathne won the title in the Under 18 category as the Maliyadeva College player scored seven points out of nine. Thilakarathne beat Aljabari Mohammad (Palastine), Radwan Mahmoud (Palestine), FIDE Master Anees M Mohamed (India), Mazhkenov Alisher (Kazakhstan), Dhingra Aaditya (India) and Khazaei Parviz (Iran) and drew with Bosagh Zadeh Alireza (Iran) and Ranjan Aryan(India). His only defeat was at the hands of Sri Lanka national player LMST De Silva.

Young Oshini Devindya Gunawardena showed her supremacy by winning the Under 10 category. Though she lost her second game to Indian player, R. Charudharshini (India) she recovered well scoring wins against all other players Bhuchar Ridhima (India), A. Anjana (India), Reya Banker (India), Gunesh Dessai Saeeja (India), GHS Sanulya (Sri Lanka), Akbari Rosha (Iran),Ukkali Krupa(India) and Dongre Anshika (India) to score eight points out of nine. Oshini is from Furguson High School, Ratnapura and is coached by Akhila Kavinda, a prominent chess trainer.

The age category victories by Thilakarathne and Devindya will now make them eligible to compete in the FIDE World Youth and Cadet Chess Grand Prix 2021 conducted by the International Chess Federation.

Nalanda College player Susal de Silva and Dharmasoka College player Esandi Newansa were the winners of the silver (Under-18 category) and bronze medals (Under-12) in their respective age categories.

The Nalandian suffered two early losses in the second and third rounds to Ranjan Arayan(India) and Kusalwin Liyanage respectively but came back fighting to score 6 1/2 points in the other games. He beat Al Busaidi Hamood (Oman), Radwan Mahmoud (Palestine), Khalifa Essa Albalooshi (UAE), Khazaei Parviz (Iran), Dhingra Aaditya (India), Harshana and Mazhkenov Alisher (Kazakhstan).

The Sokian also scored 6 ½ points out of nine. She beat Anujana Hasandi (Sri Lanka), Sachi Jain (India), Rouda Essa Alserkal (UAE), Sirin Kalyani (India), Ebrahimi Rashti Asal (Iran) and Abaeva Aiana and drew with Alavi Mahsa (Iran). Iranians Imani Adrina and Davari Sara were the only players to defeat her.

There was a close contest for medals between India and Iran. India won five gold medals in the Under 16 (Jimmy Jubbin with a score of 7 ½ out of 9), Under 14 Open (Singh Sahib with a score of 7 ½ out of 9), Under-14 Girls (Sreekumar Anupam with a score of 8 ½ out of 9), Under 10 Open (Ethan Zaz with 7 ½ points out of 9) and Under 8 Open (B Vishruth with a score of 8 out of 9) categories. Iran’s four golds came in the Under 18 Girls (Mohammadi Melika with a score of 7 ½ out of 9), Under 16 girls (Mohammadi Melika with a perfect score of 9 out of 9), Under 12 Open (Gholami Armin with a score of 8 out of 9) and Under 12 Girls (Davari Sara with a perfect score of 9 out of 9) categories. According to Chess Federation of Sri Lanka the overall champions were to be decided on Tuesday after officials receive the fare play report of the Under 8 Girls category.

The Western Asian Online Youth Chess Championships conducted by the Asian Chess Federation and organized by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka attracted a total of 850 players. It was held on the Tornelo platform with a time control of 15 minutes.

Players from Bangladesh, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Maldives, Nepal, Oman, Palestine, Syria, UAE, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka participated in the event.