Ranindu leaves for FIDE Chess World Cup

Ranindu set to meet Grand Master Oparin Grigoriy

National chess champion Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage was schedule to leave for Russia for the FIDE Chess World Cup 2021 today. According to the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, the Ananda College player has become the first Sri Lankan male player in history to participate in such an event.

Sachini Ranasinghe participated in the Women’s World Cup in 2012.

The top 206 players in the world participate in this championship which is played on a knockout basis. It is played during a period of one and half months to find the best in the world. All top chess players in the world including the current world champion Magnus Carlson have confirmed their participation. The event starts with the Opening Ceremony to be held on July 11, in Sochi, Russia and the first round will commence on July 12.

Thanks to the new qualification system of FIDE, Sri Lanka got the opportunity to send a player to the World Cup 2021 on the country’s rating strength. According to Chess Federation of Sri Lanka the National Selection Committee planned to conduct a selection trial for Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage and the top ranked player Harshana Thilakarathne. CFSL said that Harshana had withdrawn due to some health reasons making way for Ranindu to grab the valuable opportunity.

Ranindu is set to meet 90th ranked Russian Grand Master Oparin Grigoriy in the first round.

Ranindu won the National Chess Championship title in October 2020 convincingly. Then he came back strongly to win the Sri Lanka Chess Grand Prix 2021.