The Sri Lanka National Team Chess Championship 2026 — Southern Province concluded on June 14, with Richmond College Senior Team emerging as champions after five rounds of Swiss-team competition. The event was uploaded and managed by S S Gayashan De Silva and brought together 51 teams from across the Southern Province, making it one of the largest team chess events held in the region.
The tournament was contested over five rounds under the Swiss team system, with teams fielding up to six boards per match. The field featured a wide range of clubs, school teams, and college squads, with competition fierce from the opening round right through to the final pairings.
Richmond College Senior Team: A Perfect Campaign
Richmond College Senior Team entered as the second-seeded team and produced a commanding performance from start to finish, winning all five of their matches without dropping a single one. They opened with a 6-0 demolition of SAC 13 in round one, followed by a 5-1 victory over Southern Super Prodigies in round two. Round three brought a Southern Province derby against their own junior counterparts — Richmond College Junior Team — and the seniors were equally ruthless, winning 5.5-0.5. Round four saw them dispatch Sokians King’s Army 5-1, before closing out their campaign with a 5-1 victory over Sokians Boys in the final round. The result was a perfect ten match points and 26.5 board points — enough to claim the championship.
The team’s individual performers were outstanding throughout. Sanuk Nanayakkara on Board 5 was exceptional, finishing with a perfect 5 points from 5 games. K A Chalinu Jithen on Board 7 matched that feat, also recording a flawless 5 from 5. Senith Ranmika Amarasinghe on Board 3 was equally impressive, winning all 4 of his games across the rounds he played. G Naween Sithija Fernando contributed 4.5 from 5 on Board 6, while AIM Ayod Induwara Wijewickrama added 3.5 from 4. AIM Lesan Semitha Nanayakkara chipped in with 3 from 4 on Board 4, and AFM Aayush Haputhanthiri contributed on Board 2 in rounds where he was called upon.
Sicilian Chess Club: So Close, Yet So Near
Sicilian Chess Club ran Richmond desperately close, also going unbeaten across all five rounds and matching their rivals on 10 match points. They swept their first three opponents with maximum scores — 6-0 against Golden Gate Chess Academy Team B in round one, 6-0 against Sunray Chess Academy in round two, and 6-0 against Phoenix Chess Club in round three. Round four brought a tightly contested clash against Dynasty Chess Club, which Sicilian edged 3.5-2.5, before they signed off with a 4-2 victory over Rahulians Elite Chess Club in the final round.
Ultimately, Sicilian fell just one board point short of the title, finishing with 25.5 board points to Richmond’s 26.5 — a margin that reflects just how evenly matched the two sides were throughout the tournament. Their standout individual performer was AFM K M D B Karunarathne, who delivered a perfect 5 from 5 on Board 6 — arguably the most consistent individual performance in the entire event. M W C Tharindu was equally impressive in the games he played, winning all three of his appearances. AFM Harsha Madushanka contributed 4.5 from 5 on Board 2, and Akila Miraj added 4.5 from 5 on Board 5.
Dynasty Chess Club: A Strong Bronze
Dynasty Chess Club secured third place with 8 match points, winning four of their five matches. They opened impressively with a 6-0 win over G/ Richmond College Junior Team in round one, followed by a 5-1 victory over Mahinda College Team in round two and a dominant 5.5-0.5 result against Poisoned Pawns in round three. Their only defeat came in round four against Sicilian Chess Club, where they fell 2.5-3.5, before bouncing back with a strong 5.5-0.5 win over Rahulians Chess Titans in the final round.
Chamithu Dewwin Senarathna on Board 3 was Dynasty’s star performer, going a perfect 5 from 5 across all five rounds. D Adeepa Shashiprabath was equally perfect in the two games he played, winning both. M N Abdul Basith contributed a solid 3.5 from 4 on Board 4, and AFM K P Thenuk Hansaka won both of his board appearances without dropping a point.
A Competitive Field
Beyond the top three, the tournament featured strong performances from a wide range of teams. Rahulians Elite Chess Club finished fourth, Sokians Boys fifth, and Down South Chess Club sixth — reflecting the depth and talent that the Southern Province continues to produce across the chess landscape. With 51 participating teams and hundreds of games played across five rounds, this championship stands as one of the most significant team chess events in the Southern Province’s recent chess history.
Congratulations to Richmond College Senior Team on their well-deserved title, to Sicilian Chess Club on their outstanding runners-up finish, and to Dynasty Chess Club on claiming the bronze. A warm congratulations also goes to every player, coach, and team official who took part, and to S S Gayashan De Silva for managing the event records throughout.
