For five unforgettable days, the Youth Development Center in Gampaha became the beating heart of Sri Lankan chess as the Standard Championships of the 4th Queenstar International Rating Chess Championship 2026 gathered a vast and genuinely international field. Organized by the Queenstar International Chess Coaching Academy and split into two mighty divisions, Category A for the seasoned campaigners and Category B for the huge chasing pack rated below 1700, the event ran from August 20 to 24 and stood as the crown jewel of the entire festival.
Both sections were played as nine-round Swiss-System tournaments, a true test of stamina, nerve and preparation. The scale was staggering. Category B alone drew hundreds upon hundreds of competitors, turning the playing hall into a sea of boards and quiet concentration, while Category A assembled a powerful mix of Sri Lankan, Indian and Chinese talent, headlined by a Grandmaster and several titled players. The championship was steered by Tournament Director NI Lakmal Amarasekara, with IA Tharindu Weerasekara serving as Chief Arbiter and IA H N Chathuranga Gunasena as Deputy Chief Arbiter.
The story of the festival was written in Category B, and it belonged to Adshayan Suthakarabaskar. In a field of hundreds, he did what almost no one ever manages. He won every single game. Nine rounds, nine victories, a flawless 9/9 that never wobbled once across five gruelling days, earning him the champion’s title and the top prize of Rs. 150,000. The battle for the podium behind him was ferocious, with three players locked on 8.5 points. It was I L K Tennakoon, also crowned the Best Gampaha Player, who edged into second on tiebreak, ahead of Thaweesha Nawanjana in third and E A B T Edirisinghe in fourth, with young AFM Oshan Dharmadasa the pick of the juniors right behind them.
If Category B was about relentlessness, Category A was a heavyweight international slugfest, and it ended in a clean sweep. India’s in-form R Sailesh, fresh from a stellar run on the Sri Lankan circuit, rose above the entire field to take the title with a commanding 8.5 points. In a genuine shock, he finished ahead of top seed GM M. S. Thejkumar, the highest-rated player in the hall, who had to settle for silver on eight points despite his enormous rating edge. K P Aakash completed an all-Indian podium in third, with Sri Lanka’s finest, K E Dineth Sandaruwan and CM Chenitha Sihas Dinsara Karunasena, leading the home challenge on 7.5, a whisker off the medals.
What made these championships so special was how deep the talent ran. Every age group crowned its own hero, from the tiniest warriors of the Under-6 boards right up to the polished Under-15s, and the girls’ and women’s competitions were every bit as fierce. Among the women, Hesara Danuli Dampahala was in a class of her own in Category B, blazing to a superb 8.5 points, while in Category A it was J M Senudhi Ahasya Jayasinghe who claimed the top women’s prize of Rs. 100,000. Vinuja Egodawatta added the Best Queenstar Player crown to a dominant Under-12 title, and the unrated and rating-band categories gave newcomers and improvers their own stage to shine. Even the workplaces and universities joined the battle, with the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology leading the way in the Mercantile, Government and Higher Education sector competition.
Beyond the trophies and the prize money, the festival captured everything that makes chess special in Sri Lanka. The buzz of a packed hall, the friendly rivalry between local juniors and visiting internationals, and the sight of hundreds of young players discovering just how far focus and courage can take them. The chance to sit across the board from a Grandmaster is exactly the kind of exposure that helps a chess nation grow.
Warmest congratulations to every champion, every medallist, and every one of the hundreds of players who fought for every point over these five remarkable days. To the winners, your brilliance shone through. To everyone who battled and fell just short, your day is coming. A heartfelt thank you to the Queenstar International Chess Coaching Academy, the arbiters and officials, and the families and supporters who made this magnificent festival possible.
🏆 ROLL OF HONOUR — CATEGORY CHAMPIONS
Category A
Overall Champion: R Sailesh (8.5)
Women’s Champion: Senudhi Ahasya Jayasinghe (6.5)
Category B, Overall
Champion: Adshayan Suthakarabaskar (9)
Women’s Champion: Hesara Danuli Dampahala (8.5)
Category B, Age Group Champions
Under-6 Girls: Asheli Sihasya Manchanayaka (4)
Under-7 Girls: Yenuli Sithumya M Y (5)
Under-8 Girls: Chanudi Nulara M D (5.5)
Under-10 Girls: Risini Sehansa Athapaththu (6)
Under-12 Girls: Jennifer Roshel Karunarathnage (6.5)
Under-15 Girls: Sanuli Yehansa Perera (7.5)
Under-6 Boys: Prahas Semasinghe (4.5)
Under-7 Boys: Shayaan S M (7)
Under-8 Boys: AFM Himeth Sethmira Wasala (7.5)
Under-10 Boys: Sayuru Lonindu Jayasuriya (8)
Under-12 Boys: Vinuja Egodawatta (8)
Under-15 Boys: Akaine Jayasekera (8)
Special Awards
Best Gampaha Player: I L K Tennakoon (8.5)
Best Queenstar Player: Vinuja Egodawatta (8)
Mercantile / Government & Higher Education Sector
Navy and SLIIT led the sector honours, with Sri Lanka Customs and Sabaragamuwa University close behind.
