The bustling city of Shenzhen, China, played host to one of the most prestigious junior chess events on the continental calendar — the 28th Asian Youth Chess Championships 2026 — from 16th to 24th July 2026. Organised by the Chinese Chess Association under the Asian Chess Federation umbrella, the championship brought together hundreds of the region’s finest young talents across twelve age categories, from Under 8 to Under 18, in both Open and Girls sections. The event featured three separate formats — a nine-round Standard tournament, a seven-round Rapid event, and a nine-round Blitz championship — making it a true test of every dimension of a young chess player.
The Standard event was contested at 90 minutes per player with a 30-second increment from move one, the Rapid at 15 minutes plus a 5-second increment, and the Blitz at a lightning-fast 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment. The distinguished arbiter team was led by Chief Arbiter IA KK Chan, supported by Deputy Chief Arbiters IA Junnan Wang and IA Kaussar Bauyrzhan. Sri Lanka’s very own IA Tharindu Weerasekara was part of the international arbiter panel, adding to the country’s proud presence in Shenzhen.
Sri Lanka fielded a strong 24-player contingent spanning every age category — and the young Lankans returned home with performances that gave the entire chess community reason to celebrate.
Vinuka Dihain Wijerathna — A Star Rising Fast
The tournament’s brightest Sri Lankan story was arguably written by CM Vinuka Dihain Wijerathna in the Boys Under 14 section. In the classical Standard event, Vinuka produced a phenomenal campaign — recording wins over Chinese and Kazakh opponents, drawing with strong Vietnamese and Russian players, and closing his tournament with a hard-fought half-point against an Iranian FM. His 6.5 points from 9 rounds placed him in 5th position across Asia, one of the finest Sri Lankan finishes in recent memory. In the Rapid, Vinuka added 5.5 points for a magnificent 5th place, and in the Blitz he tallied 6 points for a top-15 finish — a truly complete performance.
Thehas Rithmitha Kiringoda — Consistency at Its Best
The Boys Under 12 section had its own Sri Lankan hero in CM Thehas Rithmitha Kiringoda. Thehas produced the most consistent campaign of any Sri Lankan across all three formats — 6.5 points and 7th place in the Standard, 6 points and 11th place in the Rapid, and another 6.5 points with 8th place in the Blitz. Battling Kazakh, Vietnamese, and Russian titled players throughout, Thehas confirmed his place among Asia’s most exciting young talents.
Janukshan’s Standout Under 16 Campaign
One of the most memorable moments of the championship for Sri Lanka came in the Boys Under 16 Standard event, where CM B. Janukshan finished on a magnificent 6 points and claimed 6th place in Asia after a superb final-round victory over a Russian FM. Janukshan’s fighting spirit throughout the event was a joy to watch.
Sethumlee Devhara Palliyage — Girls’ Section Star
The Girls Under 14 section had WFM Sethumlee Devhara Palliyage flying the Sri Lankan flag with distinction. Sethumlee posted an outstanding 6 points and 6th place in the Standard event, added 4 points and 16th place in the Rapid, and delivered another 6 points and 5th place in the Blitz — one of the strongest all-format campaigns by any Sri Lankan girl in the tournament.
Strong Contributions Across the Board
The Boys Under 18 section saw Thisarindu Induwara produce a lovely Standard campaign of 5.5 points for 13th place, followed by 6 points and 12th place in the Blitz. Jeewantha Aloka Hettiarachchi contributed 4.5 points in the Standard, while Jayod Yasindu Rashmika Perera picked up 3.5 in the Standard and an impressive 4.5 in the Blitz.
In the Boys Under 12, Sethika Dinsitha Masakorala posted 5 points in the Standard and a superb 5.5 in the Blitz, while Sethika Hans Samaraweera added 5 points in the Standard. Sanuk Nanayakkara was excellent in the Boys Under 14 Standard, finishing with 5.5 points and 26th place, while Amila Nimsara Ethkandura contributed 4.5 in the Standard.
Y M Dihela Thevin Wijesinghe in the Boys Under 8 delivered a wonderful 6-point campaign in the Blitz for 15th place, along with 4.5 points in the Standard. Sanuka Sageeth Kulathilaka picked up 4 points in the Boys Under 10 Standard and 5 in the Blitz.
The younger girls were equally impressive. In the Girls Under 8, Himandi Sehansa De Silva Rajaratne produced a fantastic 5.5 points and 17th place in the Standard, Akshara Shanojan added 5 in the Standard and 5 in the Blitz, and Thinuli Sethumsa shone with 6 points and 10th place in the Blitz. Yurenle Angela Fernando delivered a strong 6 points and 10th place in the Girls Under 10 Standard event. Yenuthi Sahanlee Perera and Hesanya Thanthulage picked up 4.5 points in the Girls Under 16 and Girls Under 12 Standard respectively, while WCM Sayumi Sithumila Halangoda added 5 points in the Girls Under 12 Standard.
In the Girls Under 18, AFM Dahamsa Punsadi Devaraja picked up 3 points across the Standard event and 4 more in the Blitz, and Sandithi Kusalya Alwis contributed 3.5 across both Standard and Blitz.
A Proud Chapter for Sri Lankan Chess
Shenzhen offered the sternest possible test against Asia’s finest, and Sri Lanka’s young stars answered with grit, skill, and courage from the youngest Under 8 competitors to the seasoned Under 18 warriors. Every result — from the top-5 finishes to the fighting draws in the lower boards — added a proud brushstroke to the story of Sri Lankan youth chess.
Warmest congratulations to every young Sri Lankan player who represented the country with such heart and pride, to their families and coaches for the sacrifices behind each of these results, and to the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka for making these vital international opportunities possible. Shenzhen will be remembered as one of the finest overseas outings by a Sri Lankan youth contingent in recent memory — and the future looks brighter than ever.
