Sri Lanka National B Chess Championships 2021 (open& Women)

Susal and Chanindi Win the Gold Medals

Susal De Silva of Nalanda College received yet another Championship for his awards bag when he won the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship 2021 convincingly scoring 7 ½ points out of 9 possible games being unbeaten. Susal had no hesitation from the beginning and led the event from the round 1 to the end just giving 3 draws to Denuwan Theekshana, Chehan Weerasinghe and Isara Banindu Dahanayake. He beat 6 players, Surath Wijerathne, SDBK Senevirathna, Sanudula Dahamdi, Buddhika Amarasinghe, Osheen De Silva and Nabil Nazar.

Chanindi Mewna Attanayake of Devi Balika Vidyalaya reached to a milestone of her Chess career when she beat the all time leader Desandi Dihansa Gamage to reach the top of the women’s event with a score of 7 points. She lost only one game to Janandani Abeysinge, drew two other games with Chethani Chamathka and THD Tharushi Nklesha and beat Anujana Sendanayaka, Sathini Liyanage, Minethma Wickramasinghe, Oshini Gunawardena, Dasuni Hansika mendis and Dehansa to reach 7 points to win the gold Medal.

Theeksana Denuwan of Ananda College had a fare result where he kept from the beginning to win the Silver Medal. Theekshana scored full points with Thisarindu Induwarad, Kalindu Deshapriya, Senuka Ahangama, Chehan Weerasinghe, Yasantha Jayaweera and Sanudula Dahamdi, drew with Susal De Silva and Osheen De Silva with only one lost to Nabil Nazar to win the 2nd spot. Nabil Nazar of Gateway College, Colombo had his best event where he scored 6 ½ points out of 9 games. He beat Kethushan Janarathnan, Thisal Piyumantha, S Sivathanujan, Isara Dahanayake and Theekashana Denuwan, drew with TN Alahaoon, Chehan Weerasinghe and Senuka Ahangama and lost only one game to Susal De Silva, the Champion.

Desandi Dihansa Gamage of Sirimavo Bandaranayake Vidyalaya had a remarkable event where she led the event till the penultimate round with 6 ½ points and had to satisfy with the Silver Medal due to the last round loss. She beat Sithuli Sithumya, Kavisha Indrajith, Dasuni Mendis, Nemindi Ramanayake and Esandi Nevansa, drew with Janandani Abesinghe, Oshini Gunawardena, Tharushi Niklesha and lost the final game to Chanindi Attanayake.

The Sri Lanka National B Chess Championship the event held for selecting players for the Sri Lanka National Chess Championships 2021 is organized by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka according to the Swiss System in 9 rounds. This event was so important for the Sri Lanka Chess due to an over the Board event was held after a long wait of the result of the Pandemic. The event was internationally rated and was held with the usual time control is 90 minutes + 30 seconds per move played.
The following Cash Awards were distributed among the winners;
Position National B Women’s National B
Champion Rs. 50,000/= Rs. 30,000/=
1st Runner – Up Rs. 30,000/= Rs. 20,000/=
2nd Runner – Up Rs. 20,000/= Rs. 10,000/=
4th Place Rs. 10,000/= Rs. 5,000/=
5th Place Rs. 5,000/= Rs. 3,000/=

The reigning National Chess Champion, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage, and Sri Lanka Top Ranked Harshana Thilakarathne are qualified directly to play the National Championships 2021 - Finals
The top 12 players of the open event will join them in the finals as below

1. Susal De Silva (Nalanda College)
2. HG Denuwan Theekshana (Ananda College),
3. Nabil Nazar Mohamed (Gateway College)
4. M Thisal Manjith Piyumantha (Dharmasoka College)
5. Chehan Weerasinghe (SLIIT)
6. Osheen De Silva (SL Navy)
7. Isara Banidu Dahanayake (Royal College)
8. Sivanandan,Sivathanujan (Kokavil Hindu College)
9. KM Dahamdi Sandula (Musaeus College)
10. Senuka Aswin Ahangama (DS Senanayake College)
11. KGSTD Kiriella (Maliyadeva College)
12. SDBK Senevirathne (Maliyadeva College)

Since Nethmi Fernando, the reigning Women’s National Chess Champion has opted not to play,14 players will be qualified from Women’s event for the SL Women’s National Chess Championship 2021 – Finals.

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