14th Ethugalpura International Chess Championship 2024: A Milestone Commemoration of Chess Excellence

 All in all, the event contained the Classical Open Championship, which was run from 20th December through to 24th December across all five days. Other additional highlights of the event include but are not limited to the following: the Open Blitz Tournament was held on 21st December while the Women’s Blitz Event was held on 23rd December. Other unique events included the Arbiters Event and Parents Event, which were held on December 22, thus enabling all those around the chess community to also compete and show their enthusiasm for the game.

With over 1.2 million LKR as prize money, plus trophies, medals, and certificates to all participants, the event was luring top players from all over the region and in no time became one of the most looked-forward-to events in the chess calendar.

In the Classical Open Event, the Swiss system of 10 rounds with 90 minutes of standard time control and a 30-second increment did really test the strategic acumen of players. Indeed, an almost flawless result came for India’s Indrajeet Mahindrakar as he picked up top honors with an enviable 9.5/10. The same attributes of tactical brilliance and precision on the board secured the first place for him. Sri Lanka’s GWDM Dabarera bagged second place with 9 points while country mate A H M B Senarathne garnered the third position with 8.5 points to give an equally deserving podium finish for the host nation.

The ranking was equally competitive in the Women’s category of the Classical Open Championship, with the cream of the crop among female players displaying their skills. WCM Sayuni Gihansa Jayaweera topped with 7.5 points, while WCM Ehsha Mishela Pallie also secured 7.5 points but came in second in the women’s category. Completing the top three was ACM A G Hansadie Aradhya Akuratiya, underlining the rich talent that exists within the Sri Lankan women chess fraternity.

The event was made more thrilling by the Open Blitz Tournament, which put the players through a test of speed and tactical acumen. The game was fast, with little scope for errors. Indrajeet Mahindrakar continued his dominance in winning the championship with 9 points, while C U Hettiarachchi of Sri Lanka took second place with 8 points. The third place went to C C Weerasinghe for his dynamic gameplay.

In the Women’s section, the winner in the Open Blitz Tournament was WCM K M Dahamdi Sanudula with 8 points. The second place went to H Sandithi Kusalya Alwis, who had 7 points, while WCM Eshsha Mishela Pallie secured third place to underline their speed and strategic brilliance in this high-intensity competition.

The other thrilling competition was the Women’s Blitz Event, which showcased the budding stars in Sri Lankan women’s chess. H Sandithi Kusalya Alwis won the event, showing depth in strategy with quick decision-making in this fast-paced format. Ehsha Mishela Pallie came second, while the brilliant strategies of Gehansa Ranumi Dange secured her third place. It was all the more pointed, because the event was fully organized and conducted by women: tournament director, organizing committee, chief arbiter-women. Such achievement underlined their leadership and expertise in chess, and Women’s Blitz Event became a highlight of the championship.

A novelty in this year’s tournament was the Arbiters Event, which gave a chance for the arbiters officiating in the tournament to show their skills. The event was a celebration of their very important role in maintaining the integrity of the competition. First place went to FIDE Arbiter W S N Chandrarathne, second place went to International Arbiter Naditha Amarakoon, and third place went to FIDE Arbiter D G D Chamil Thilakarathne. The Best Female Arbiter award went to National Arbiter S C T Kumari, whose contributions were greatly valued.

The Parents Event was a friendly and entertaining competition that involved parents in the chess spotlight to enjoy the spirit of the championship. Isuru Rajapakshe from Sri Lanka claimed first place, while B. J. M. Charles and T. A. Gunasekara showed their skills in second and third place, respectively. S C T Kumari, once again due to her merit, was also awarded Best Female in this event.

In the Higher Education Sector, university teams from Sri Lanka really showed great teamwork and strategies. The University of Moratuwa emerged as the champion, while Wayamba University of Sri Lanka was the runner-up and Sabaragamuwa University came in third place.

In the Mercantile and Corporate Sector competition, teams representing the armed forces and corporate sectors of Sri Lanka competed. It was won by Sri Lanka Navy – Team A and Sri Lanka Navy – Team B came second, showing the great teamwork and coordination among both the teams.

In addition to the sharp fights on the chessboard, the championship was permeated with Christmas programs and therefore a cozy and joyful atmosphere for families and onlookers alike. All in all, this was a very special tournament due to the combination of competitive chess and holiday spirits.

The 14th Ethugalpura International Chess Championship 2024 rewrote history for one of the most important chess events this year. With record participation, brilliant performances in all categories, the event continued to raise new standards for tournaments across the region, building on the rich legacy of the Ethugalpura Championship. This year’s success only raises expectations toward the 15th edition, with hopes running really high for an even bigger celebration of chess in times to come.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and participants and our deepest gratitude toward the organizers for their persistence and hard work in bringing about this monumental event.