Kurunegala came alive with the quiet intensity of a hundred ticking clocks as the All-Island Queenstar Open Age Group Chess Championship 2026 brought together many of the island’s most promising young players for a single day of hard-fought chess. Held on 2 August 2026 at Sri Nissanka Vidyalaya in Kurunegala, the championship spanned ten categories from the tiny warriors of the Under-07 sections all the way up to the open men’s and women’s fields—in a joyful celebration of Sri Lanka’s deep and fast-growing chess talent.
The event was played over five rounds under the Swiss system, with a standard time control of 45 minutes per player giving the youngsters just enough time to think deeply without letting the tension ease. It was organized by the Queenstar International Chess Academy under the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka and run by a dedicated team of officials: Tournament Director NI Lakmal Amarasekara, Chief Arbiter FA Sachila I N Wickramathilake, and Deputy Chief Arbiter NA R S Kalana Sachintha Dissanayake, whose smooth handling kept a very large field moving from board to board without a hitch. The fields were healthy across the board—the Under-09 Open alone featured dozens of hopefuls scrapping for the top boards, and every single game was contested between Sri Lankan players, making this a true all-island showcase of homegrown ability.
The youngest champions announced themselves in style. In the Under-07 Open, Uvindu Minhas Perera was simply unstoppable, sweeping all five games for a flawless five out of five and the cleanest title of the day. The Under-07 Girls crown produced one of the tournament’s tensest finishes: both Tanuli Okithma Athapaththu and Enuki Sithevna Kolamunne also stormed to a perfect score, and only the finest tiebreak margin separated them, with Athapaththu edging ahead for gold.
That theme of perfection and heartbreak carried into the Under-09 sections. D.M.V.T. Dissanayaka and Maheshakya Siyambalapitiya both finished on a spotless five in the Open, Dissanayaka taking the title on tiebreak, while Movindu Thevsas Perera claimed third with a mature 4.5. Among the Under-09 Girls, Bisandi Ashinsa Senanayake and Chandrasena C. M. R. U. K. matched each other stride for stride on five points, Senanayake’s superior tiebreak earning her the gold.
The Under-11 groups rewarded consistency and nerve. Sahen Ranathunge held off a determined pack to top the Open on 4.5, with Nimeod Mishel and Athukorala A N Y Athukorala completing the podium after a tight scramble for the medals. In the girls’ event, S T D Somathilaka of Maliyadeewa Adarsha M V finished clear on four points, ahead of A A T U Amarasinghe and Nikini Yehansa Dharmapriya.
The Under-13 Open featured some of the strongest juniors on show, and Nethula Sasmitha Fernando rose above them all with a commanding five out of five, leaving Bhanuja Matheesha Gamage and Thiloka Prathibha Abeyrathne to settle the remaining medals on four points apiece. The Under-13 Girls then delivered a genuine nail-biter, with Sesathmee Yunara and D.M.J.Y. Dissanayaka locked together on 3.5 and matching each other across several tiebreaks before Yunara was finally declared champion, with Shasheni Chathusathya Thilakarathne taking bronze.
The Open sections crowned the championship’s senior stars. In the Open Men, AFM Anuja Himal navigated a testing field to finish first on four points, with Sohan Perera and AFM Ravinath S T close behind on 3.5 after a run of fighting draws and hard-won victories. The Open Women’s title went to Rachel Wijerathne, whose 4.5 held off a spirited chase from Piyumi Dhanushika Sathsarani and D P M Sidasni.
From the first move to the last, the hall carried the special energy of a junior championship: parents whispering at the doorways, coaches pacing the corridors, and children learning, in real time, how to win with grace and lose with dignity. Events like Queenstar matter far beyond the medal table: they give the next generation the competitive miles they need to one day fly the Sri Lankan flag abroad.
Warmest congratulations to all ten champions, to every medallist and podium finisher, and to each young player who sat down, shook hands, and gave their absolute best over the board. Your courage and sportsmanship are the real victory. A heartfelt thank you, too, to the Queenstar International Chess Academy, the arbiting team, and all the parents and coaches who made this wonderful day possible.
