The Sri Lanka National Premier Division Chess Championship 2026 delivered ten days of the finest chess the country has to offer, played from March 13 to 22, 2026, at Lanka Sathosa Delkanda, Nugegoda. Organized by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka and directed by IA Erosh Jayasinghe, with IA Tharindu Weerasekara serving as Chief Arbiter, the National Premier is the pinnacle of competitive chess in Sri Lanka — the tournament where the country’s strongest and most accomplished players gather to contest the most coveted title on the national chess calendar. The 2026 edition more than lived up to its reputation, producing one of the most competitive and tightly contested National Premier championships in recent memory across eleven rounds of Swiss System FIDE-rated chess with a time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment per move.
With an average rating of 1778 and an average age of just 18 across the field, the 2026 National Premier was a powerful statement of both the quality and the youth of Sri Lankan chess at its highest level — a field packed with FIDE Masters, Candidate Masters, and ambitious young talents all competing for national glory.
FM Weerasekara Claims the National Title
FM Dishal Nimsara Weerasekara produced a campaign worthy of a national champion, finishing the eleven rounds with 8 points and claiming the 2026 Sri Lanka National Premier Division title on tie-break in what was an extraordinarily close finish at the very top. Having already demonstrated his dominance at the 64 Squares Premier Rapid Championship earlier in 2026, Weerasekara’s National Premier title cements his status as Sri Lanka’s standout player of the year — a composed, precise, and brilliantly consistent performer across the longest and most demanding tournament on the national calendar.
CM Thehas Rithmitha Kiringoda matched Weerasekara’s 8 points exactly and pushed all the way to the final round, claiming second place on tie-break in a finish that went down to the finest of margins. Kiringoda’s campaign was built on aggressive and enterprising chess throughout all eleven rounds, and his runner-up finish was a superb result from one of Sri Lanka’s most exciting young titled players. Third place went to AIM Aruthran Arunakirinathan also on 8 points — a remarkable and historic result from the Northern Province talent who has been one of the standout performers of the entire 2026 chess calendar. CM B Janukshan finished fourth on 8 points as well, while Chenitha Mithvidu Ovitigala and CM S Sivathanujan — the highest-rated player in the field at 2137 — completed a remarkable top six all finishing on 8 points, in what was one of the most competitive title races the National Premier has ever seen.
A Deep and Star-Studded Field
The competition across the full eleven rounds was fierce from top to bottom of the draw. G W D M Dabarera and A A H M B Senarathne both finished with 8 points for seventh and eighth places respectively, while K E Dineth Sandaruwan and T H D Thisarindu Induwara rounded out the top ten also on 8 points — underlining the extraordinary depth of quality throughout the 2026 National Premier field.
CM Vinuka Dihain Wijerathna and CM A P Chenitha Sihas Dinsara Karunasena both finished with 8 points for eleventh and twelfth places respectively, while S D Nadev Insara claimed thirteenth place with 7.5 points. FM Chinthaka Anuruddha Galappaththi, who had already produced outstanding results across the 2026 provincial circuit, finished fourteenth with 7.5 points, while Ruvin Sandharu Jayasooriya completed the top fifteen with 7 points.
Further strong performances came from B Jayod Yasindu Rashmika Perera, B Hiruka Hansana Senarathna, V W A Vinuda Vidmal Wickramasinghe, M T H Sansutha Pesanjith, and CM A A C B Amarasinghe — all finishing with 7 points and underlining the remarkable competitiveness of the 2026 National Premier from the very top to the bottom of the draw.
The Chess Federation of Sri Lanka deserves great credit for once again delivering a superbly organised and professionally run National Premier Division Championship. Tournament Director IA Erosh Jayasinghe and Chief Arbiter IA Tharindu Weerasekara ensured that all eleven rounds were conducted smoothly and efficiently across the ten days at Lanka Sathosa Delkanda, Nugegoda.
Congratulations to National Champion FM Dishal Nimsara Weerasekara, runner-up CM Thehas Rithmitha Kiringoda, third-placed AIM Aruthran Arunakirinathan, and every participant who competed in the Sri Lanka National Premier Division Chess Championship 2026. This tournament represents the very best of Sri Lankan chess, and we look forward to an even more exciting edition in 2027! ♟️🇱🇰
