For three unforgettable days from the 8th to the 10th of August 2026, the Samanala Hotel in Pitakotte, Thalawathugoda, became the beating heart of Sri Lankan club chess. The National Inter Club Chess Championship Division B Finals 2026 (Open) brought together twenty-three teams from across the country, each arriving with the same dream to climb out of Division B and stamp their name on the national stage. Organised by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, the event was a six-round Swiss-system team battle played at the classical time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from the very first move, giving players every chance to think deeply and fight hard.
From the first round, one team looked a cut above the rest. Anandians Chess Club, the top seeds and the highest-rated squad in the hall, played with the calm confidence of champions. They swept through all six rounds without tasting a single defeat, winning four matches and drawing two to finish on ten match points. Leading the charge was CM Mojitha Sathsara Gunaratne, whose superb five-from-six haul anchored the team when it mattered most, backed by steady scoring across the boards from the likes of Pasan Vindula Liyanapathirana and CM Thehas Rithmitha Kiringoda. Their unbeaten run was the story of the tournament, a masterclass in consistency.
Yet they were never allowed to relax. One Direction by Rawana Squad chased them all the way, also going unbeaten with three wins and three draws for nine points. Their standout was M A Kisandu Randira Perera, who racked up five points and gained a hefty chunk of rating in the process. Had a single draw turned into a win, the title race might have come down to the wire.
Behind the top two, the tournament exploded into chaos. No fewer than five teams finished level on eight match points, turning the fight for third place into a tiebreak thriller. When the dust settled, Jaffna Hindu College emerged with the bronze, narrowly edging Rahulians Chess Club, with Spassky Chess Club, Silent Move Chess Club and The HaSe Mind Gym all left to rue the finest of margins. Every half-point across six rounds suddenly mattered enormously.
While the teams battled, individual heroes lit up the boards. The performance of the tournament belonged to young Sanuk Nanayakkara of Richmond College, who produced a flawless six-out-of-six — a perfect score even as his team sat lower in the standings, proving that brilliance can shine anywhere. W Yasiru Weerasinghe of Global Chess Club and M T H Sansutha Pesanjith of Rahulians Elite both blazed to five-and-a-half points. And the rating charts told their own tales of breakthrough: S H Esandu Induwara of Sokians soared by well over a hundred points; K Priyan Lakshitha of Vidyartha was close behind; and K Nipun Adithya Dhananjana of Team Zugzwang A announced himself with five points and one of the biggest rating jumps of the event.
Credit for the smooth running of such a large field goes to a dedicated team of officials. Tournament Director IA Tharindu Weerasekara and Chief Arbiter IA Sanjula Ravinath, supported by Deputy Chief Arbiter FA I N Sachila Wickramathilake and arbiters NA Isuru Pabasara and DA Dilip Charuka, kept six intense rounds ticking along fairly and professionally.
With a field averaging just nineteen years of age, this event was a glowing reminder of how bright the future of Sri Lankan chess truly is. The atmosphere was competitive yet warm, full of handshakes, hard-fought draws and the quiet courage of players pushing their limits.
A huge congratulations to champions Anandians Chess Club, to runners-up One Direction by Rawana Squad, and to Jaffna Hindu College for their podium finish, and to every single player and team who fought, learned, and gave their all. You made this tournament special.
