Sri Lanka Shines at Commonwealth Chess Championship 2024: One Gold, Three Silver, and Seven Bronze Medals
The Commonwealth Chess Championship 2024, held from August 28 to September 5 at Citrus Hotel, Waskaduwa, Sri Lanka, saw intense competition across a variety of age groups and categories. Sri Lankan players delivered a standout performance, capturing one gold, three silver, and seven bronze medals. The event was organized by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka on behalf of the Commonwealth Chess Association and FIDE, bringing together 282 participants from multiple countries.
Sri Lanka’s Medalists
Sri Lanka emerged as a formidable force in the championship, especially in the youth categories:
Gold Medal:
A P Chenitha Sihas Dinsara Karunasena won gold in the Under 10 Open category.
Silver Medals:
- Dishal Nimasara Weerasekara in the Under 20 Open.
- Thehas Rithmitha Kiringoda in the Under 10 Open.
- S Nethumi Dihansa Perera in the Under 08 Girls.
Bronze Medals:
- IM Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage in the Open Category.
- T D R Peiris in the Over 60 Category.
- AFM B Janukshan in the Under 20 Open.
- Pesandu Rashmitha Liyanage in the Under 18 Open.
- J M Theruni V Jayasundara in the Under 14 Girls.
- Sethumlee Devhara Palliyage in the Under 12 Girls.
- Warnakulasuriya Eleesha Fernando in the Under 08 Girls.
The championship saw participation in both open and girls’ divisions across various age groups, from under-8 to over-60. A total of 282 players from various Commonwealth nations participated in categories including the Open, Women’s, and Youth Championships, covering multiple age groups: Under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18.
Open Championship
The Open Championship was the most prestigious category, featuring 69 players. The competition was fierce, with India dominating the podium:
Gold Medal: GM S.P. Sethuraman (India) emerged victorious with a score of 7/9 points, winning on tie-breaks.
Silver Medal: GM N R Vignesh (India) also scored 7/9 points but had to settle for second place due to tie-break rules.
Bronze Medal: IM Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage (Sri Lanka) secured third place with 6.5/9 points, bringing home a crucial medal for the host nation.
Women’s Championship
The Women’s Championship featured top female players from across the Commonwealth, with the following results:
Gold Medal: WGM Mary Ann Gomes (India) won with 5.5/9 points.
Silver Medal: WIM Chitlange Sakshi (India) scored 5/9 points, claiming second place.
Bronze Medal: IM Soumya Swaminathan (India) also scored 5/9 points, finishing in third place on tie-breaks.
Under 20 Open
This category saw 13 young and talented players compete:
Gold Medal: FM Arjun Adireddy (India) with 6/9 points.
Silver Medal: Dishal Nimasara Weerasekara (Sri Lanka) with 5.5/9 points.
Bronze Medal: AFM B Janukshan (Sri Lanka) also with 5.5/9 points but losing out on tie-breaks.
Under 20 Girls
The Under 20 Girls category featured a close battle among young talents:
Gold Medal: WFM Sirin Kalyani (India) won with 5/9 points.
Silver Medal: WCM Arshiya Das (India) secured second place with 4.5/9 points.
Bronze Medal: WFM Shubhi Gupta (India) also scored 4.5/9 points but finished third on tie-breaks.
Under 18 Open
In the Under 18 Open, 8 players competed:
Gold Medal: Santhosh Parvathareddy Ajay (India) scored 6.5/7 points.
Silver Medal: FM Gaurang Bagwe (India) scored 6/7 points.
Bronze Medal: Pesandu Rashmitha Liyanage (Sri Lanka) took third place with 4/7 points.
Under 18 Girls
Seven players participated in this category:
Gold Medal: WCM Datta Rajanya (India) with 5.5/7 points.
Silver Medal: Leah Rice (Singapore) with 5/7 points.
Bronze Medal: Siya Sagar (India) secured third place with 3.5/7 points.
Under 16 Open
The Under 16 Open saw a larger field of 16 players:
Gold Medal: IM Ethan Vaz (India) with 7/9 points.
Silver Medal: S Rohith (India) scored 6.5/9 points.
Bronze Medal: Goyal Daksh (India) also finished with 6.5/9 points but placed third on tie-breaks.
Under 16 Girls
This category featured 15 players:
Gold Medal: WFM Shubhi Gupta (India) with 8/9 points.
Silver Medal: Mallick Mrittika (India) with 7/9 points.
Bronze Medal: AFM Jain Yashvi (India) with 6.5/9 points.
Under 14 Open
In the Under 14 Open, 14 players competed:
Gold Medal: Viresh Sharnarthi (India) scored 5.5/7 points.
Silver Medal: M Mridav (India) with 5/7 points.
Bronze Medal: V Raghav (India) also with 5/7 points but finished third on tie-breaks.
Under 14 Girls
The Under 14 Girls category saw close competition among 14 participants:
Gold Medal: WCM Arshiya Das (India) scored 6.5/7 points.
Silver Medal: G Hipparagi Shreya (India) with 5/7 points.
Bronze Medal: J M Theruni V Jayasundara (Sri Lanka) with 5/7 points but finished third on tie-breaks.
Under 12 Open
With 24 players competing, this category had a strong field:
Gold Medal: Majumder Mayukh (India) with 8/9 points.
Silver Medal: Sri Akhil Prasad (India) with 6.5/9 points.
Bronze Medal: Poonja Siddhanth (India) with 6/9 points.
Under 12 Girls
This category also featured 24 participants:
Gold Medal: WCM Bordoloi Pratitee (India) with 7.5/9 points.
Silver Medal: Siddhi Rao (India) with 6.5/9 points.
Bronze Medal: Sethumlee Devhara Palliyage (Sri Lanka) with 6.5/9 points but finished third on tie-breaks.
Under 10 Open
In the Under 10 Open, 15 players competed:
Gold Medal: A P Chenitha Sihas Dinsara Karunasena (Sri Lanka) with 8/9 points.
Silver Medal: Thehas Rithmitha Kiringoda (Sri Lanka) with 8/9 points but finished second on tie-breaks.
Bronze Medal: Amit Agrawal Advik (India) with 7.5/9 points.
Under 10 Girls
18 players competed in this category:
Gold Medal: WCM Aaradhya Das (India) with 8.5/9 points.
Silver Medal: Bijesh Divi (India) with 8/9 points.
Bronze Medal: Pungavanam Samhita (India) with 6.5/9 points.
Under 08 Open
A large group of 30 players competed in the youngest open category:
Gold Medal: Phutane Ayaan (India) with 8.5/9 points.
Silver Medal: ACM Sarbartho Mani (India) with 8.5/9 points but finished second on tie-breaks.
Bronze Medal: Garg Hriday (India) with 6/9 points.
Under 08 Girls
This category saw 28 players compete:
Gold Medal: M Harshika (India) with 8/9 points.
Silver Medal: S Nethumi Dihansa Perera (Sri Lanka) with 7/9 points.
Bronze Medal: Warnakulasuriya Eleesha Fernando (Sri Lanka) with 7/9 points but finished third on tie-breaks.
The Commonwealth Chess Championship 2024 highlighted the competitive spirit and skill of players across various age groups, with Sri Lanka making its mark on the international stage. Congratulations to all the winners and participants for their outstanding achievements in this prestigious event.
Photographer – Anil Madu Sampath
