Susal and Sachini clinch national titles

Sri Lanka National Chess Championships 2022

The reigning national chess champion Susal de Silva of Nalanda College won the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship for the second successive year as he scored ten points in 13 games at the 2022 edition concluded on Sunday.

The 17-year-old FIDE Master, lead from the start and beat his Ananda College rival Ranindu Liyanage in the eighth round which gave him the needed tie-breaking points to win the title and the cash award of Rs. 112,500.00. Susal beat A.A.C.B. Amarasinghe, Isuru Alahakoon, Dhanushka Bandara, Chandana Wijekoon, S.D.B.K. Senevirathne, Brijeash Sarawanabhawan, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage and N.P.G. Sithija Lahiru and drew with Nabil Nazar, T.S.D. Kiriealla, Lisara Samadith Tennakoon and Elath Mathanga de Silva. His only blemish was against Achinthya Shamane Kaluarachchi.

Top seed FIDE Master, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage also scored ten points out of the possible 13 games but had to satisfy with the silver medal as he lost tie-breaking points. Ranindu beat Brijeash Sarawanabhawan, T.S.D. Kiriealla, Sithija Lahiru, Elath Mathanga, Achintha Shyamane Kaluarachchi, Lisara Samadith Tennakoon, A.A.C.B. Amarasinghe, Dhanushka Bandara and S.D.B.K. Senevirathne, drew with Chandana Wijekoon and Nabil Nazar. He suffered defeats at the hands of Susal and Isuru Alahakoon. Liyanage won the silver medal and a cash award.

FIDE Master, Isuru Alahakoon of Sri Lanka Navy settled for the third position with 8 ½ points.

Women International Master, Sachini Ranasinghe won her fifth Women’s National Chess Championship title convincingly scoring nine points out of 13 games. She beat Pasindi Wijesuriya, Oneli Vithanawasam, Janandani Abeysinghe, Nemindi Ramanayake, Tiumi Yashora, W.M.M.N. Wijesinghe and Wishwara Mapa and drew with Yasasi Abeysekara, Chamodya Yapabandara, Desandi Gamage and Esha Mihisha Pallie. She suffered defeats at the hands of Sanudula Dahamdi and Minethma Wickramasinghe. Apart from the trophy Sachini also received a cash award of Rs. 100,000.00.

Desandi Gamage of Sirimavo Bandaranaike College won the second spot with 8 ½ points. She was awarded the silver medal and a cash award of Rs. 50,000.00.

Janandani Abeysinghe of NSBM Green University was placed third with eight points.

The top five players in both events are now selected to represent Sri Lanka at the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 in India.

The Golden Jubilee Sri Lanka National Chess Championships 2022 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 13 rounds for the supremacy.

The Awards Ceremony of the event was held at Hotel Taj Samudra just after the final round on Sunday. Luxman Wijesuriya, President CFSL, General Secretary of the Commonwealth Chess Association and Shiang Wong, Deputy General Manager – Product Marketing of SLT Mobitel (Main Sponsor of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka) distributed the awards.