The Junior National Chess Championship 2026 came to the Northern Province from March 13 to 15, 2026, with Senguntha Hindu College, Kalviyankadu serving as the venue for what proved to be a thrilling and hard-fought provincial selection event. Organized by the Jaffna District Chess Association, the Northern Province selection brought together the province’s finest young chess talent across both the Open and Girls sections for three days of intense FIDE-rated competition under the Swiss System format, with a time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment per move from move 1. Chief Arbiter FA Chathuranga Buddhika oversaw both sections throughout the event.
The Junior National Chess Championship series provides junior players across all provinces with their own dedicated selection competition, with the top performers from each provincial event earning the right to represent their province at the national stage. True to the Northern Province’s proud chess tradition — a province that has consistently produced some of Sri Lanka’s strongest junior talent — the selection event delivered highly competitive chess across both sections from the very first round.
Open Section — Aarvalan Leads Northern Province
Chandrakumar Aarvalan delivered an outstanding campaign across all seven rounds to claim the Northern Province Junior National Open title with 6.5 points — a composed and consistent performance that marked him out as a thoroughly deserving provincial champion. Aarvalan’s ability to maintain his focus and precision across seven rounds of high-quality junior chess was the hallmark of his title-winning performance, and he will carry Northern Province’s hopes confidently onto the national stage.
AFM Tharshan Kajishana pushed hard throughout the event and finished as runner-up with an impressive 6 points — a strong and disciplined campaign that underlined his quality as one of Northern Province’s leading junior players. Third place went to Saruksayan Sasimaran with 5.5 points, while Thanushan Shakithiyen T also finished with 5.5 points for fourth place on tie-break — both players delivering excellent performances in a competitive Open field. ACM Linkaseelan Sajishan rounded out the top five also with 5.5 points, completing a top five that showcased the remarkable depth of junior chess talent across the Northern Province.
Girls Section — Muraleetharan and Prasanna in a Thrilling Title Race
The Girls section produced one of the most exciting title races of the entire Junior National Championship series, with Abishshana Muraleetharan and Priththika Prasanna finishing level on 6.5 points after seven rounds — requiring tie-break calculations to separate them at the very top. Abishshana Muraleetharan claimed the Northern Province Junior Girls title on tie-break, with Priththika Prasanna finishing as a very close and equally deserving runner-up — both players producing near-flawless campaigns that were a credit to Northern Province junior women’s chess.
Ann Ashwini Sujanthan finished third with 5 points, while Anne Hanustiha Jude Vimalendran claimed fourth also with 5 points on tie-break in another closely contested finish. Midrazara Satheeskumar rounded out the top five in a Girls section that demonstrated the strength and depth of Northern Province’s junior women’s chess talent and bodes very well for the future of the province’s chess development.
The Jaffna District Chess Association deserves great credit for delivering a well-organised provincial selection event at Senguntha Hindu College. Chief Arbiter FA Chathuranga Buddhika ensured that all seven rounds across both sections were conducted smoothly and professionally throughout the three days.
Congratulations to all the champions and participants of the Junior National Chess Championship 2026 — Northern Province. The future of Sri Lankan chess is in very capable hands, and we look forward to seeing these talented young players carry the Northern Province flag proudly onto the national stage. Keep playing, keep improving, and keep dreaming big! ♟️🇱🇰
