Youngsters shine as Sanjeewa and Chenaya grab titles
Youngsters showed their class at the Sri Lanka National Online Novices Chess Championship 2021 despite a senior grabbing the main title of the meet. Among those who earned the cynosure were Piyumi Amarathunga, who earned the silver medal of the Western 2 Open category, and Chenaya Ekaratne, who won the gold medal in Western 1 Women’s category.
Sanjeewa Dayan Munasinghe of National Building Research Organisation won the gold medal at the Western 2 Open category with a stunning score of 6.5 points out of possible 7 games. Munasinghe had six straight wins against Jayod Bodaragamage, Mohamed Wishal, E.A.B.T. Edirisinghe, Akindu Keerthisinghe, Tharushika Silva and W.D.R.T. Wijeratne. However, he drew his last game with young Piyumi Amarathunga to win the title.
Piyumi of Super Fighters Chess Club secured the silver medal with an exemplary score of 6 out of the possible 7 games. Piyumi started the tourney having a draw with Thisara Perera but found her form to win five games straight against K.T.S. Karannagoda, Senal Francis, Thinod Perera, Ishitha Upeksha, Akindu Keerthisinghe. She drew the last game with the gold medalist, Munasinghe and settled with the silver medal.
E.A.B.T. Edirisinghe of University of Moratuwa also scored 6 out of 7 possible games, similar as the silver medalist, but with the lesser tie breaker, earned the bronze medal. Edirisnghe won his first two games against Akeesh Perera and Sanuka Jayawardane but lost his third game to the gold medalist, Munasinghe. Later finding his form he had four straight wins against Thanuga Geeneth, Dineth Kumara, Janith Rajawasala and Daham Sathsara to score 6 points.
Chenaya Ekaratne of Musaeus College, scoring a breathtaking score of 7 out of 7 possible games, won the gold medal of the Western 1 Women’s category. She beat Nethra Rathnayake, Vihansa Liyanage, Resandi Kiringoda, Jenuki Herath, Tenuki Herath, Thinuli Pathirana and Ananya Perera to grab the championship.
Haritha Thillainathan of Bishops’ College and Arundi Beminiwatte of Defence Services College, Colombo scored amazing scores of 6 points out of 7 possible games. However, with the better tie breaker, Haritha won silver while Arundi had to satisfy with bronze.
Haritha lost her first game to Theruni Jayasundara but stood up having an astonishing six straight wins against Vinuji Mendis, Bhagya Kavindi, Lithumi Hiranya, Ranumi Gamage, Chanudi Jayasinghe and Tenuki Herath.
The bronze medalist, Arundi, beat Vinaya Perera, Januthi Malinsa, Sanara Kuruppuarachchi, Nethra Rathnayake, Yenuli Wijeweera, Thinuli Pathirana, but lost her third game to Chanudi Jayasinghe.
The Sri Lanka National Online Novices Chess Championship 2021 had two categories -- Western 2 Open and Western 1 Girls’ -- and came to an end with the participation of 152 players, whose rating were less than 1200. Both events were played according to the Swiss System in 7 rounds under the Rapid Chess time control of 15 minutes with a 10 second increment for each move played.
The top 23 players of the Western II Open and the Top 22 players of the Western I Women will qualify for the appropriate Majors Division Chess Championships, to be held in late August. The inaugural Sri Lanka Online National Rapid Chess Championship Cycle 2021, conducted by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, consists four stages.
The cycle started with the Novices events in seven 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 rounds, which includes a round robin event of the first stage of the finals while a knockout of top four players of the round robin event will be played as second stage in the finals. The same structure will be followed in the Women’s event as well.