Susal and Esha lead at half way mark

Sri Lanka National Chess Championships 2022

The reigning national champion Susal de Silva of Nalanda College, Colombo and Esha Mihisha Pallie of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo are leading the Open and Women’s categories respectively at the halfway mark of the Sri Lanka National Chess Championship 2022.

De Silva registered five straight wins as he beat Buddhika Amarasinghe, Isuru Alahakoon, Dhanushka Bandara, Chandana Wijekoon and S.D.B.K. Senevirathne and drew his last game with Nabil Nazar of Gateway College to aggregate 5 ½ points.

Esha won four out of six games. She scored wins against Chamodya Yapabandara, Nemindi Ramanayake, Desandi Gamage and Tiumi Yashors. Her games against Minethma Lasandi Wickramasinghe and W.M.M.N. Wijesinghe ended in draws.

In the open category, the former national champion, Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage is in the second spot with 4 ½ points, while two players, namely, Achintha Shamane Kaluarachchi and Isuru Alahakoon are sharing the third and fourth places (4 points each).

In the women’s category three players, Janandani Abeysinghe, Sanudula Dahamdi and WIM Sachini Ranasinghe are in the second spot with (4 points each).

The Open and Women’s championships of the Sri Lanka National Chess Championships 2022 are conducted by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka. The CFSL is offering rupees half a million to the winners. The winner in the open category will be awarded Rs. 150,000.00 while the winner in the women’s championship gets Rs. 100,000.00. The best 14 players of each section in Sri Lanka is competing in a round robin system in 13rounds for the supremacy.

The event which commenced on April 23 at Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research Institute, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07 will conclude on May 1. The top five players of the two events will be included in the Sri Lanka National Chess teams to compete at the FIDE World Chess Olympiad in July 2022 in Chennai, India.

The remaining games will begin on Thursday at the same venue at 3.00 p.m. and will continue till Sunday. The awards ceremony will be held at 7.00 p.m.