Chess Champs Academy emerge champions

Online Women’s Rapid Team Chess Cup 2021

Chess Champs Academy team led by Thilini Koswatte won the maiden Online Women’s Rapid Teams Chess Cup conducted by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka (CFSL). At the grand finals, which was held in double rounds, each player received black and white moves. Chess Champs scored three match points against their rivals who could score only one match point in first round.

In the first round the Women Grand Master from Kazakhstan, Gulmira Dauletota and Tharushi Sandeepani scored points for Passed Pawns while Women International Master from India Isha Sharma and Saumy Zainab scored points for Chess Champs Academy. But, in the second round Thilini played a key role out playing strong Kazakhstani WGM Gulmira at a critical juncture when their WIM Isha Sharma had suffered a lost from Sri Lankan Women International Master Sachini Ranasinghe. Dinushki Premanath and Saumy Zainab, both former national champions excelled scoring full points for their team. Chess Champs beat Passed Pawns 3-1 in the second round to win the championship.

According to CFSL a total of 275 players belonging to 55 teams participated in the tournament and teams were categorized into three Divisions according to their player ratings.

The Division ‘C’ consisting of the lowest ranked 27 teams played pm January 14. The top three teams of that division then advanced to the ‘B’ Division to compete against the 23 teams in that division on January 16.

The top three teams of ‘B’ Division advanced to play a round robin event with top five ranked teams in the ‘A’ Division on January 17.

 The top four teams of the ‘A’ Division, paired according to double knock out method competed in the final stage.

Results

Passed Pawns CC (Champions of ‘A’ Division) beat Fischer Chess Club ‘A’ (4th in ‘A’ Division) 3-1

Chess Champ Academy (1st Runner up of ‘A’ Division) beat Fischer Chess Club ‘B’ 3-1.

Results of the Finals

Round 1.

Chess Champ Academy tied Passed Pawns 2-2

Round 2

Chess Champ Academy beat Passed Pawns 3-1

Teams:

Chess Champ Academy: Thilini Koswatte (Captain), Dinushki Premanath, WIM Isha Sharma, Saumy Zainab and Prasansa Premanath.

Passed Pawns CC: WIM Sachini Ranasinghe (Captain), WGM Gulmira Deltoteva, Dasuni Mendis, Pasindi Yathra Wijesuriya and Sandeepani M Tharushi.

Result of the Finals

Rd 1

Thilini Koswatte lost to WGM Gulmira Dauletova

WIM Isha Sharma beat WIM Sachini Ranasinghe

WFM Dinushki Premanath lost to Tharushi Sandeepani

WFM Zainab Saumy beat WFM Dasuni Hansika Mendis

Rd 2

WGM Gulmira Dauletova lost to Thilini Koswatte

WIM Sachini Ranasinghe beat WIM Isha Sharma

Tharushi Sandeepani lost to WFM Dinushki Premanath

WFM Dasuni Hansika Mendis lost to WFM Zainab Saumy

The games were played under strict anti-cheating rules and regulations according to FIDE standards on chess.com platform.