From the 3rd to the 5th of July 2026, the halls of Dehiowita National School echoed with the sound of clocks, moves and quiet cheers as the Sabaragamuwa Province leg of the Sri Lanka National Team Chess Championship 2026 unfolded across five intense rounds. Organised by the Kegalle District Chess Association on behalf of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, the event brought together clubs and schools from across the province in a true celebration of team chess, featuring both an Open section and a Women’s section.
The Open section was contested as a Swiss-System event for teams, while the Women’s section was played as an all-play-all round robin among five teams. Both sections used the classical standard time control of 90 minutes with a 30-second increment per move from move one, giving every game the depth and drama that team competitions are famous for. NA Jayantha Ketalawala served as Tournament Director, with IA Sanjula Ravinath at the helm as Chief Arbiter and NA Lakshan Akurana as Pairing Arbiter, backed by a full team of arbiters who kept proceedings running with clockwork precision.
The Open section quickly turned into a duel at the top. Sivali Chess Club stormed out of the gate with three straight wins, brushing aside rivals with dominant board scores of 6-0 and 6-0 in the opening rounds. But the challenge came, as expected, in the shape of Team Zugzwang A, a well-drilled unit with the highest rating average in the field. When these two heavyweights met in the final round, everything was on the line. Sivali held their nerve to draw the match 3½-2½, doing just enough to lift the title with nine match points from a possible ten. Behind that team result lay heroic individual performances — AFM Senitha Dahammeth Hettiarachchi delivered a perfect 5/5 on board four, while T. W. Thimira Prabasara matched him move for move with another flawless 5/5 on board five. Their unshakeable scores gave Sivali the platform they needed when it mattered most.
Team Zugzwang A had to settle for silver on eight match points, but their weekend was hardly a disappointment. AFM Oshan Dharmadasa was the wall on which many opposing teams broke, sweeping all five of his games, while Nipun Adithya Dhananjana and I. G. T. G. Thisera added excellent 4½/5 scores of their own. The bronze medal battle went right down to tiebreaks, with Mighty Pawns Chess Club and Zugzwang B finishing level on eight match points. It was the finer margins that eventually favoured Mighty Pawns, spearheaded by Ravindu Malintha Meedeniya’s superb 4½/5 on board two. Zugzwang B narrowly missed the podium in fourth, followed by Ruwanwella Central College – Dragon in fifth, Team Magnus and Kegalu Vidyalaya sharing sixth and seventh, Pinnawala Tuskers A in eighth, and Pinnawala Tuskers B and C completing a strong club presence in ninth and tenth.
The Women’s section produced its own compelling story across five round-robin rounds. Five teams battled it out, and the leaderboard soon became a fascinating family affair. St. Joseph’s Balika Vidyalaya and their own Under-13 team kept pace with each other match after match, both showing remarkable consistency. When the two sides finally met in the last round, tension was at its peak. In the end they drew 3-3, both finishing on eight match points — but the senior side’s superior board points edged them ahead for gold. The Under-13s can walk away with heads held high, having pushed their seniors right to the last board and beaten Chess Fortress and Deyon Chess Club along the way.
Chess Fortress claimed a well-earned bronze on five match points, thanks in part to a decisive final-round win over the Under-15 side and an earlier statement victory against Deyon Chess Club. Deyon Chess Club finished fourth on three match points, having stretched the eventual champions in a tight opening-round encounter. Rounding off the standings, the St. Joseph’s Balika Vidyalaya Under-15 side finished fifth with one match point, but for these youngest of competitors the weekend was as much about experience and exposure as it was about results — every game played against senior opposition adds up in a young player’s development.
The mood at Dehiowita National School over the three days was everything you would hope for in a national championship — competitive but respectful, tense but joyful. Team huddles between rounds, coaches whispering final words of encouragement, and the unmistakable buzz of young players trading stories after every match made for a truly memorable weekend. As a provincial qualifier within the national championship structure, the event carries significant weight in shaping which clubs and schools will represent Sabaragamuwa in the wider Sri Lankan chess calendar.
Warmest congratulations to Sivali Chess Club, Team Zugzwang A and Mighty Pawns Chess Club on their Open section podium, and to St. Joseph’s Balika Vidyalaya, their own Under-13 side, and Chess Fortress on the Women’s section podium. Congratulations too to the individual board medallists, and to every single player who represented their club or school with such spirit. Heartfelt thanks to the Kegalle District Chess Association, the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, Dehiowita National School, the entire arbiting team, and the parents and coaches whose support made the weekend possible.
