Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage, the number 2 in the FIDE Rating list for Sri Lanka won the Sri Lanka National B Chess Championship 2020. Though he lost his last round, he was leading from the early rounds and won the Championship on the better tie breaker after tying with 8 points with 6 more players. He will be earning the Tropy, Gold Medal and a shred cash award of Rupees 16,500/= . All tied 7 players will receive the same cash award of Rs. 16,500/= each.

Nevanji Hewawasam of Visakha Vidyalaya was outstanding in performance to win the Sri Lanka Women’s National B Chess Championships 2020 convincingly. She is also leading the event from the start and drew her final game to be the Champion in the event. She will receive the Trophy, Gold Medal and Rs. 30,000/= in cash.

The Sri Lanka National B and Women’s National B Championships conducted by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka are the strongest Swiss System tournaments in the country with a total of Rs. 170,000/= in Cash.The CFSL scheduled the event to the 2nd and 3rd week of March 2020 aiming to have the Nationals in April to select the National Chess Teams to the FIDE World Chess Olympiad, Moscow, 2020. Unfortunately, the COVID 19 came so fast where the medical authorities stop the event when the penultimate round was in progress. So, only the 10th and 11th Rounds of the events was held on 23rd of August 2020 after the country has come to normal, out of COVID with all medical guidelines given by the Ministry.

The players selected from 15 SL National Novices Division events are playing in the 7 SL National Major Division Events organized by the Chess Federation. The players selected from Major Division events will meet the strongest Chess players in the country with more than 2000 International Rating in the National B Chess Championship to find the best 13 players, who will play in the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship 2020 – Finals with the reigning National Chess Champion, Newly elected International Master, Harshana Thilakarathne of Maliyadeva College. The Sri Lanka Women’s National Chess Championship 2020 is also the same and the best thirteen players of Sri Lanka National B 2020 will play a 13 round, Round Robin in the Sri Lanka Women’s National Chess Championships with the reigning Women’s National Chess Champion, WCM, Gihansa Jayaweera of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda.

KPRN Samaranayake (Peradeniya University and HG Denuwan Theekshana (Ananda College), LMST De Silva (Nalanda College), Minul Sanjula Doluweera (Royal College), Dhanushka Bandara, and DMGS Dassanayake (Maroons CC) tied for the 1st place with 8 points out of 11 games. But, Samaranayake & Theekshana won the Silver and Bronze medals respectively due to the better tie breaker. CC Weerasinghe(Maroons CC), Akila Kavinda, AACB Amarasinghe, GWDM Dabarera(Maliyadeva College), Chinthaka Anuruddha(Kandy YMCA CC) and S Sivathanujan (Kandy YMCA CC) qualified for the National A Chess Championship 2020.

Thilini Koswatte (Sri Lanka Airport & Aviation Services), M Tharushi Sandeepani (Devi Balika Vidyalaya) and GW Nethmi L Fernando tied with 8 points in the 3rd place. Thilini and Sandeepani got the Silver & Bronze Medals having the better tie breaker. Three of them will receive a cash award of Rs. 11,500/= each. THD Niklesha Tharushi (Visakha Vidyalaya), MMWH Mapa (Girls High School, Kandy), Esha Pallie (Visakha Vidyalaya), HMH Janandani Abeysinghe (NSBM Green University) and Minethma Lasandi Wickramasinghe (Sujatha Vidyalaya, Mathara) placed 5th to 9th place with 7 ½ points. Ashvini Pavalchandran (Wycherly International School), WIM, Sachini Ranasinghe (Nf3 Chess Club), Tharuli Vihansa Ranganath (Yoshida Shokanji International School) and WMMN Wijesinghe (Girls High School) are the other four players selected to play in the Sri Lanka Women’s National Chess Championship 2020 to be held in next month.

Luxman Wijesuriya
Hony. Tournament Secretary – CFSL
General Secretary – South Asian Chess Council
General Secretary – Commonwealth Chess Association
Vice President – Asian Chess Federation