The Sri Lanka National Chess Championship was held from 18th to 21st July and from 26th to 28th July at the Sports Ministry Auditorium.
The Sri Lanka Chess Federation is an annual event organized to select the Sri Lanka National Chess Champion and National Women Chess Champion, as well as to select chess players for both the Sri Lankan women’s and men’s chess teams.
Accordingly, fourteen players participated in the men’s event and fourteen players in the women’s event. Both these tournaments consisted of thirteen rounds.
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The first round of the tournament was held on the opening day of July 18th, while the other rounds of the tournament were held on the other six days, with two rounds each day, making a total of thirteen rounds.
Dhanushka Bandara became the Sri Lanka National Chess Champion by scoring 9.5 points in these thirteen rounds. He is the former chess captain of Vidyartha College, Kandy, and a member of the Kandyan Lions Chess Club. Accordingly, he won seven out of the thirteen rounds and drew five rounds.
Fide Master Dishal Nimsara of Sri Chandananda Buddhist College was the one who scored 8.5 points in the thirteen rounds. He won five out of thirteen rounds and drew seven rounds.
Achinthya Kaluarachchi, a member of the Kandyan Lions Chess Club, managed to secure the third place. He scored 8 points out of thirteen rounds, won six out of thirteen rounds, and drew four rounds.
In the women’s event, Esandi Newansa, a Woman Fide Master from Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda, became the Sri Lanka National Women’s Chess Champion with 10.5 points out of thirteen rounds. Accordingly, she won eight out of thirteen rounds and drew five rounds.
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Women’s chess champion Dahamdi Sanudula of NSBM Green University, who is a Woman Fide Master, won the runner-up position here. She drew with women’s chess champion Esandi Newansa and scored 10.5 points, but could not become the expected national champion due to the tie-break. She also won eight out of thirteen rounds and drew five rounds.
The world’s youngest Woman International Master, Oshini Devindya of Wycherley International School, Colombo, won the third place here with 9.5 points. She won eight out of thirteen rounds and drew three rounds.
