Western Asian Online Youth Chess Championships 2021 Sri Lanka wins two Golds, a Silver and a Bronze

Sri Lanka’s number 1 ranked and International Master Harshana Thilakarathne won Gold in the under 18 years (Open) category of the Western Asian Online Youth Chess Championships concluded on September 20. Thilakarathne, who is from Maliyadeva College, played excellent Chess leading from the first round and winning Gold convincingly. 

He beat Aljabari Mohammad (Palestine), Radwan Mahmoud (Palestine), FIDE Master Anees M Mohamed (India), Mazhkenov Alisher (Kazakhstan), Dhingra Aaditya (India) and Khazaei Parviz (Iran) drawing with Bosagh Zadeh Alireza and (Iran) and Ranjan Aryan (India) and lost one game to compatriot national player LMST De Silva to score 7 points out of possible 9 games.

The young Oshini Devindya Gunawardena who is the current under 10 Years Girls World Chess Champion showed her supremacy by winning the under 10 Category medal of this Championships. Though unfortunately she lost her second game to Indian player R Charudharshini (India) she recovered well scoring wins with all other players Bhuchar Ridhima (India), A Anjana (India), Reya Banker (India), Gunesh Dessai Saeeja (India), GHS Sanulya (Sri Lanka), Akbari Rosha (Iran), S Ukkali Krupa(India) and Dongre Anshika (India) to score 8 points out of 9 games and win the event. Oshini is from Ferguson High School, Ratnapura and is coached by Akhila Kavinda, a prominent Chess trainer in the country.

National youth player in the national Chess team Susal De Silva of Nalanda College won Silver in under 18 category. M Esandi Newansa of Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda claimed Bronze in the Under 12 years Girls’ category scoring 6 ½ points out of 9 games. 

The western Asian Online Youth Chess Championships conducted by the Asian Chess Federation and organized by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka was held from September 18-20. A total of 850 players participated in this biggest online Chess Event of Asia on Tornelo platform. The time control is 15 minutes + 10 seconds for each move played. Bangladesh, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Maldives, Nepal, Oman, Palestine, Syria, UAE, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka participated in the event.

The Winners of each age group will be selected to play the FIDE World Youth and Cadet Chess Grand Prix 2021 to be conducted by the International Chess Federation. Thilakarathne and Gunawardena will be selected for the event.