Susal, Sachini win titles
The reigning national Chess champion 17-year-old FIDE Master Susal de Silva of Nalanda College won the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship 2022, scoring 10 points out of a possible 13 games.
One of the most promising chess players in the country, de Silva won the title for a second successive year, leading from beginning to end, and beating rival Ranindu Liyanage in the eighth round which gave him the required tie-breaker points to win 2022 title, a Gold medal and shared cash award of Rs. 112,500/=.
De Silva beat AACB Amarasinghe, Isuru Alahakoon, Dhanushka Bandara, Chandana Wijekoon SDBK Seneviratne, Brijeash Sarawanabhawan, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage and NPG Sithija Lahiru, drew with Nabil Nazar, KGTSD Kiriella, Lisara Samadith Tennakoon and Elath Mathanga De Silva and lost only one game to Achinthya Shamane Kaluarachchi to earn 10 points.
Liyanage also scored 10 points, but his loss to de Silva meant he had to settle for Silver medal and the shared cash prize.
FIDE Master Isuru Alahakoon of Sri Lanka Navy managed to place third with 8 ½ points out of 13 games. He won a bronze medal and a cash award of Rs. 40,000/-.
Four times Women’s National Champion, Women International Master Sachini Ranasinghe won her fifth Women’s National Chess Championship title convincingly, scoring 9 points out of possible 13 games.
Desandi Dihansa Gamage of Sirimavo Bandaranaike College won the second place with 8 ½ points out of 13 games while Janandani Abeysinghe of NSBM Green University managed to finish in third place with 8 points.
The top five players in both events will move forward into the Sri Lanka National Open and Women Chess Teams which will participate in the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 in India.