The inaugural DINI International Chess Championship 2024 commenced on 29th July 2024, featuring two completed rounds and showcasing impressive performances. Currently, twenty players have achieved a perfect score of two points.
A notable highlight from the first day was Sri Lankan player Sivanathan Sivathanujan (ELO 1968) defeating Grand Master Sayantan Das (ELO 2491) of India in the second round.
Several other Sri Lankan players also delivered commendable results in the second round:
- WCM K M Dahamd Sanudula (ELO 1876) drew with International Master Madhavan N B Hari (ELO 2386) of India.
- AFM B Janukshan (ELO 1840) drew with Grand Master Alexei Barsov (ELO 2324) of Uzbekistan.
- T A Sajith Chathuran Obeysekara (ELO 1814) drew with International Master Poorna Sharma Mithrakanth (ELO 2229) of India.
In the first round, notable performances included:
- FM Chinthaka Anuruddha Galappaththi (ELO 1924) drawing with IM Ajay Karthikeyan (ELO 2401) of India.
- D M T Kashyapa Kulasekara (ELO 1902) drawing with AGM B Vignesh (ELO 2245) of India.
- Vinuka Dihain Wijerathna (ELO 1895) drawing with FM Amir Mohammad Hamidi (ELO 2209) of Iran.
The DINI International Chess Championship 2024, running from July 29th to August 4th at Mount Lavinia Hotel, is an international GM tournament organised by the Blue & Gold Chess Club. The tournament boasts a prize fund of USD 20,000 (six million Sri Lankan rupees). The open champion will receive nine hundred thousand Sri Lankan rupees, and the women’s champion will be awarded two hundred fifty thousand Sri Lankan rupees. This event stands as the strongest chess tournament ever organized in Sri Lanka.
The tournament features a robust lineup, including ten Grand Masters, six International Masters, one Woman International Master, and five FIDE Masters. A total of 157 players are competing, with India’s GM Diptayan Ghosh (ELO 2568) as the top seed. Notably, Sri Lankan rising star and Western Asian Junior Girls Champion, WIM Devindya Oshini Gunawardhana, is also participating in this prestigious event.
The tournament is being held in a ten-round Swiss format with a time control of 90 minutes plus 30-second increments from move one. The third round is scheduled to start on 30th July at 4:30 PM, promising more thrilling games ahead.
Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting chess event, brought to you by the Blue & Gold Chess Club.
