The National Inter Club Chess Championship Finals 2026 (Women’s) delivered exactly the drama Sri Lankan chess fans hoped for: a runaway champion at the summit and a fierce three-way scramble for the places below. Run as part of the national championship organised by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, the women’s section brought together eleven club and school teams for a six-round Swiss-system team battle, each game played at the classical time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from the very first move. From the opening bell, it was a test of stamina, nerve, and depth, and one team passed it perfectly.
The mayor’s chess club was untouchable. The top seeds swept through all six rounds without dropping a single match, finishing on a flawless twelve match points with six wins from six. What made their run so devastating was the strength across every board. WFM K M Dahamdi Sanudula and WFM M Esandi Newansa both posted perfect scores of five wins from five games, while M A D D D Munasinghe matched them with her own spotless five-from-five on the top board. Add in strong contributions from ACM A G Hansadie Aradhya Akuratiya, H. Sandithi Kusalya Alwis, and B. P. Chanthuli Thanishka De Silva, each chipping in four and a half points, and the picture becomes clear: this was a champion team with no weak link anywhere.
If the title race ended early, the battle for silver and bronze went right down to the wire. Fischer Chess Club, Success Chess Academy, and Passed Pawn Chess Club all finished locked together on eight match points, each with four wins and two losses. With nothing separating them on the scoreboard, the podium was decided by game points and tiebreaks. Fischer Chess Club held their nerve to claim second place, powered by Gehansa Ranumi Dange, who scored a superb five points and gained a hefty rating boost, and G H S Sanulya, who added four and a half. Success Chess Academy took the bronze in third, with R B Pumudi Hansadi enjoying one of the standout individual performances of the event, surging over sixty rating points. Passed Pawn Chess Club, so close to glory, finished a heartbreaking fourth despite WCM G P Y Wijesuriya’s perfect four wins from four.
Further down, there were bright sparks everywhere. Southlands College, Queens Pride, St. Mary’s Convent (Matara), Royal International School Kurunegala Girls A, and Silent Bishops all fought hard in a congested mid-table, while several young players lit up the rating charts with breakthrough results. It was the kind of tournament where reputations were made, not just defended.
Credit for the smooth running of the championship goes to Tournament Director IA Tharindu Weerasekara and Chief Arbiter IA Sanjula Ravinath, whose team ensured six intense rounds were played fairly and professionally from start to finish. Events like this, competitive yet warm, packed with talented young women pushing their limits over the board, are exactly what the future of Sri Lankan chess is built on.
A huge congratulations to champions Mayor Chess Club on their perfect campaign, to runners-up Fischer Chess Club, and to Success Chess Academy for a hard-earned bronze. And to every team, every player, and every young queen who fought through six long rounds, you did your clubs, your schools, and your country proud.
