Nisal and Sandali Grabs the Championships!

Nisal Dilushana Thilakarathne of St. Thomas College, Bandarawela and Sandali Somarathne of Royal International School, Kurunegala won the Sri Lanka National Online (Novices Division) Chess Championship of the Sabaragamuwa province (open) and North Western province (women) convincingly. Nisal was unbeaten throughout the whole tournament making it an impressive score of 7 out of 7 possible games. He beat Isira Halwathura, Rushith Chamara, Tharuli Dinethma, Imeth Handagama, Thenudi Chaththuthara, Ranpalee Attanayake and AI Dharmasiri.

Sathindu Vidujaya Lankathillake (St. Thomas College, Bandarawela) and Yonal Sadeesha Sumanathilake (Royal International School, Kegalle) both scored 6 out of 7 possible games but Lankathillake claimed Silver with better tie breaker while Sumanathilake claimed bronze. Lankathillake drew to Nisal Perera and TA Tharanga but beat HP Kumara, Ruvin Jayasooriya, Ramithu Wickramasinghe, Dinethma Tharuli and Ruviru Jayathilake. Somathilake lost to Dharmasiri AI but beat Yasandu Jayawardane, Isira Hedeniya, PB Nawarathne, Dinethma Tharuli, Ranpalee Attanayake and Tharanga TA

Useli Ikshana Bandara of Maliyadeva Girls School, Kurunegala and Monadi Methusha Amarasinghe of Dhammissara National School grabbed the Silver and Bronze medals respectively. Useli and Monadi both showed a score of 6 out of 7 possible games but Useli claimed the Silver with the better tie break. Useli beat Dharani Ranawaka, Sehasa Samaranayake, Apurwa Gunaratne, JS Rasnayake, Pramudi Samarakoon and Yenuli Udapola but lost her 4th round to the champion – sandali. Monadi lost her 4th game to Yenuli Udapola but beat Lakvindee Karunathilake, Chulani Pathirana, Pramudi Samarakoon, Sandamini Hewage, Binudi Maddrapperuma and Dahamli Rasnayake. DMMD Dissanayake of Maliyadeva Girls School, Kurunegala also scored six points but has to satisfy with the 4th place on the poor tie breaking score.

Top 19 players of the Sabaragamuwa Open event and the Top 21 players of the North-Western Women’s event will obtain the license to the appropriate Major Division Chess Championships to be held from late August 2021.

With that, the tourney came to an end in style marking the end of all 7 regional Novices Division Chess Championships and the Sri Lanka National Major Division Chess Champions are to start on next Saturday.

The Novices Division of the Sri Lanka Online Rapid National Chess Championships 2021 was planned to have in 7 regions, Western I (Colombo District), Western II (Gampaha and Kaluthara District), Central Province, Wayamba Province, Southern Province, Sabaragamuwa region (Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces) and Northern Region (Northern, Eastern, and North Central Provinces).

The Inaugural Sri Lanka Online National Rapid Chess Championship Cycle 2021 consists of 4 stages. The Cycle is started with the Novices events in 7 regions followed by the Major Division Events in the same regions. The Top players will join with the selectees from Major Division events in the National B event. The Top 14 players of the National B will join the current National Chess Champion and the Top rank player in the 15 round, Round Robin event in the 1st stage of the finals while a knocked out of top four players of Round Robin event will be played as 2nd stage of the finals. The same structure will be followed in the Women's Event as well.