The 35th National Youth Games 2025 Women’s Chess Championship marked a historic milestone as the National Youth Services Council organized chess as a sport for the first time in the Youth Games. The championship took place from the 10th to the 12th of October 2025 at the National Youth Services Council. Organized by the National Youth Services Council Sports division, the tournament was played under a five-round Swiss team format with a standard time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move from the start.
Mr. P A C Priyal, Assistant Director Sport, served as the Tournament Director, while FA Washini Chamithri Surasinghe acted as the Chief Arbiter for this prestigious event.
In the Women’s Championship, Kalutara District emerged victorious with an impressive 9 match points and a total of 23.5 game points. Urban Youth District secured the first runner-up position with 8 match points and 20.5 game points. Galle District claimed the second runner-up spot with 7 match points and 17 game points.
Intense Competition and Outstanding Performances
The tournament showcased remarkable performances from young female chess players across Sri Lanka. Kalutara District started their championship campaign with a narrow 5.5-0.5 victory over Colombo District in Round 1, setting the momentum for their success.
In Round 2, Kalutara District delivered a dominant performance, crushing Polonnaruwa District 6-0 to strengthen their position at the top. However, they faced their toughest challenge in Round 3 when they met the strong Urban Youth District team. In a closely contested match, Kalutara District secured a narrow 3.5-2.5 victory, demonstrating their championship quality.
Urban Youth District had an impressive run throughout the tournament, starting with a 4-2 victory over Jaffna District in Round 1. They continued their strong form with a 3.5-2.5 win against Batticaloa District in Round 2. Their only setback came in Round 3 against eventual champions Kalutara District. Urban Youth District bounced back strongly in Round 4 with a commanding 6-0 victory over Anuradhapura District, before finishing with a 4.5-1.5 win over Kegalle District.
Galle District showed resilience throughout the tournament, securing important victories in the later rounds to claim the second runner-up position. Their Round 4 match against Badulla District resulted in a 3.5-2.5 win, and they finished strong with a 4-2 victory over Polonnaruwa District in the final round.
Outstanding Individual Performances
Several players delivered exceptional performances during the championship. D G Jayandi Bimansa from Kalutara District scored an impressive 5 out of 5 points, while her teammate B Thishya Methsandi Fernando also achieved a perfect 5 out of 5 score. From Urban Youth District, I Himansi Sahanya Rodrigo scored a flawless 5 out of 5 points, and H Sandithi Kusalya Alwis contributed 4.5 out of 5 points. For Galle District, N D Hasareli Hasanjana was outstanding with 5 out of 5 points.
Team Members of Winning Teams
Champion – Kalutara District
- S M Chethika Chamindi
- D G Jayandi Bimansa
- Anujana Hasandi Sendanayake
- Doluvara Waththagamage Dewmini Thesanya
- T Rehansa Thisumlie Jayarathna
- B Thishya Methsandi Fernando
First Runner-up – Urban Youth District
- M Tharushi Sandeepani
- Sharika Thillainathan
- D M SInaly Thanujana
- H Sandithi Kusalya Alwis
- I Himansi Sahanya Rodrigo
- G D Yenuli Hesanya
- Haritha Shavina Thillainathan
Second Runner-up – Galle District
- A R P Mendis
- K P Ranumi Dulansa
- T H Binusha Githmini
- N D Hasareli Hasanjana
- Rabodya Tharundi Nallaperuma
- Hashinika Saheli Kumarawadu
- D S P Sithuni Imandika
Congratulations to all the winners and participants for their outstanding performances and sportsmanship. This historic inclusion of chess in the National Youth Games marks a significant milestone in the development of women’s chess among young players across Sri Lanka.
