The Sri Lanka National Major Division Chess Championships 2026 – Sabaragamuwa Province brought four days of exciting competitive chess to Kadangoda Vidyalaya, Kuruwita from February 14 to 17, 2026. The event was organized by Black Knights Chess Club in collaboration with Castle Chess Club on behalf of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, with both the Open and Women’s categories drawing enthusiastic fields from across the Sabaragamuwa Province.
The tournament was jointly directed by IA H N Chathuranga Gunasena and Dammitha Kesari Senavirathna, with IA H N Chathuranga Gunasena serving as Chief Arbiter, NA Ravindu Malintha Meedeniya as Deputy Chief Arbiter, and DA Sasini Janeesha as Arbiter. Both categories were contested over 7 rounds under the Swiss System format, using the standard FIDE time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds increment per move from move 1, with full international rating calculation.
Open Category: K P R N Samaranayake Claims a Hard-Fought Title
The Sabaragamuwa Open was a tightly contested affair from start to finish, with the championship only being decided on tie-break after a thrilling final round. K P R N Samaranayake — the top seed entering with a rating of 1872 — justified his seeding with a solid 6 points from 7 rounds, showing the composure and consistency of an experienced campaigner to hold off a strong chasing pack. His title was earned the hard way, with several difficult encounters along the way that tested his nerve and technique in equal measure.
I G T G Thisera gave Samaranayake a genuine run for his money, finishing as runner-up on tie-break also with 6 points — a remarkable result for the second seed and a campaign marked by fighting chess throughout. AIM S D Welikumbura claimed third place with 5.5 points, showing why he was one of the pre-tournament favorites and delivering a performance that reflected his experience and competitive quality.
Isuru Udana Samarasinghe and K Nipun Adithya Dhananjana both finished with 5 points to claim fourth and fifth places respectively, while R D Isuru Saranga Pathmasiri scored 5 points for sixth. J A T S Jayasinghe delivered one of the performances of the tournament, finishing seventh with 5 points, closely followed by E G P A Gamage, AFM Senitha Dahammeth Hettiarachchi, and M M Sesara Udameth Indraratne — all finishing on 5 points — to complete a highly competitive top ten that underlined the strength and depth of Sabaragamuwa Province chess.
Women’s Category: Thenudi Chathuththara Delivers a Championship Performance
The Women’s section was equally competitive across its 7 rounds, with the top of the leaderboard producing some of the most entertaining chess of the entire provincial Majors. Thenudi Chathuththara was the standout performer, claiming the Women’s title with an excellent 6.5 points from 7 rounds. Her campaign was built on consistent winning play from the very first round, and she maintained her composure under pressure throughout to emerge as a worthy and convincing champion.
K A Savidya Navangi pushed hard for the title, finishing as runner-up with 6 points in a strong and consistent campaign that kept the pressure on the leader deep into the final rounds. Third place went to Thinuli Sehansa Jayawardhane, also with 6 points on tie-break — a fine result from the third seed that included some impressive victories over higher-rated opponents along the way.
G M Dimathi Dasunya Premathilaka finished fourth with 5 points, while B G Miheli Hiyansa Bopeththa and W R Omeli Senulya Wickramasinghe both scored 5 points for fifth and sixth places respectively. B P Viduni Vihangika claimed seventh with 5 points, followed by Sethuni Senara Senevirathna and E A Nethulya Mihindee Edirisingha — both finishing with 4.5 points — and Gagani Amaya Weerakoon completing the top ten with 4.5 points in a competitive and well-fought Women’s section throughout.
Black Knights Chess Club and Castle Chess Club, along with the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, deserve great credit for bringing a well-organized and competitive event to Kuruwita. The efforts of joint Tournament Directors IA H N Chathuranga Gunasena and Dammitha Kesari Senavirathna, alongside the full arbitration team, ensured that both categories were conducted smoothly and professionally across all four days.
Congratulations to all the champions, prize winners, and every participant who competed in the Sri Lanka National Major Division Chess Championships 2026 – Sabaragamuwa Province. We wish all our qualifiers the very best as they prepare to represent Sabaragamuwa at the National B Championship. The journey continues — keep pushing, keep improving! ♟️
