The Junior National Chess Championship 2026 came to the Uva Province from March 13 to 15, 2026, with Viharamahadevi Girls College, Badulla serving as the venue for a highly competitive and exciting provincial selection event. Organized by Catalan Chess Academy on behalf of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, the Uva 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. FA K K N L Perera served as both Tournament Director and Chief Arbiter across 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. With the field averaging a rating of 1412 and an average age of 12, the Uva Province selection was a strong and competitive showcase of the province’s young chess talent.
Open Section — Priyakantha Claims Uva Province Glory
J Avishka Priyakantha of Rawana Squad delivered a composed and consistent campaign across all seven rounds to claim the Uva Province Junior National Open title with 6 points — finishing as a thoroughly deserving provincial champion whose performance throughout the event was marked by discipline and competitive maturity. Priyakantha will carry Uva Province’s hopes confidently onto the national stage.
Sanuka Binal Weerasingha of Badulla Central College matched Priyakantha’s 6 points exactly and pushed all the way to the final round, claiming second place on tie-break in what was a razor-thin finish at the top — an excellent result from one of Uva Province’s most talented young players. Third place went to M P Olitha Nethmina Pathirana of SMIK Chess Academy with 5.5 points, while N M Hasiru Manumitha Nawarathna of Catalan Chess Club also finished with 5.5 points for fourth place on tie-break. Thasmira Yalindu Wijethunga of Badulla Central College rounded out the top five with 5.5 points, completing a top five that reflected the strong depth of junior chess talent across Uva Province.
Further strong performances came from ACM D M Uvind Wishwajith Dissanayaka of B/Welimada Vijaya Vidyalaya and R G D Bhagya Samaraweera of Rawana Squad, both finishing with 5 points for sixth and seventh places respectively. D M Janidu Chamudith Dissanayaka of Catalan Chess Club, P G Pubudu Mihiranga Bandara of B/Mahiyanganaya National School, and D M Gamith Randul Dissanayaka of Catalan Chess Club completed the top ten — all finishing with 5 points in a highly competitive Open section from top to bottom.
Girls Section — Vinudini Shines for Uva Province
The Girls section produced an equally compelling title race, with H P Onadi Seja Vinudini of Rawana Squad claiming the Uva Province Junior Girls title with 5 points from seven rounds — a composed and assured performance that made her a worthy and deserving provincial champion and a Chess Queen to watch on the national stage.
H M Jihansa Bosandi Herath of Catalan Chess Club and U H Maheesha Gimahani Gunawardhana of B/Welimada Vijaya Vidyalaya both finished with 5 points as joint runners-up, separated only by tie-break in a remarkably close finish at the top of the Girls section — all three podium finishers demonstrating the exceptional quality of Uva Province’s junior women’s chess talent. Senudi Kimalka of Catalan Chess Club finished fourth with 4.5 points, while Kadawatha Mudiyanselage Manodya of Royal Crown Chess Club rounded out the top five with 4 points.
Further strong performances came from Manduli Vidasna of Catalan Chess Club, Y S Ekanayake of Vishaka Girl’s College, R M D G Tharushi Chamodya Wijewardhana of Mahiyanganaya Chess Academy, S A D Ranasinghe of B/Siddhartha Primary School, and H R M Sahasna Vishwani of Royal Crown Chess Club — all finishing with 4 points and underlining the remarkable depth of the Uva Province Girls section throughout the seven rounds. Senulmi Gedinuli Disanma of Vishaka Girl’s College also put in a commendable performance with 3.5 points to complete the top eleven.
The Catalan Chess Academy deserves great credit for delivering a well-organised provincial selection event at Viharamahadevi Girls College. FA K K N L Perera ensured that all seven rounds across both sections were conducted smoothly and professionally throughout the three days in Badulla.
Congratulations to all the champions and participants of the Junior National Chess Championship 2026 — Uva Province. The future of Sri Lankan chess is in very capable hands, and we look forward to seeing these talented young players carry the Uva Province flag proudly onto the national stage. Keep playing, keep improving, and keep dreaming big! ♟️🇱🇰
