WIM Oshini Devindya Gunawardhana represented Sri Lanka with distinction at the Asian Juniors and Girls Chess Championships 2024, held from October 11 to 20 at the Knights Templar Hotel in Tagaytay City, Philippines. This prestigious event was organised under the auspices of FIDE, the Asian Chess Federation, and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, in collaboration with the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. The championships included standard, rapid, and blitz formats, drawing top junior talent from across Asia.
Silver Medal in the Asian Junior Girls’ Rapid Chess Championship
In the Asian Junior Girls’ Rapid Chess Championship, WIM Oshini Devindya Gunawardhana secured the silver medal with a score of 7 out of 9 points. She demonstrated exceptional skill and resilience, narrowly finishing behind WIM Anna Shukhman (competing under the FIDE flag), who clinched the gold with an impressive 8/9 points. WFM Shubhi Gupta of India claimed the bronze, prevailing in a tie-break against another competitor with 6/9 points.
Best Girl Under 16 in Asian Girls Junior Blitz Chess Championship
Oshini also excelled in the Asian Girls Junior Blitz Chess Championship, where she was crowned the Best Girl in the Under 16 Section. Her remarkable performance in the blitz format underscored her versatility and speed, further establishing her as one of Asia’s promising young chess talents.
Sri Lanka’s K K Dinujaya Kodithuwakku Makes Strides in the Standard Championship
K K Dinujaya Kodithuwakku represented Sri Lanka in the Asian Junior Chess Championship, competing in the standard format. Dinujaya finished in the top ten, taking 10th place overall and impressively increasing his Elo rating by 56 points.
Championship Highlights Across Categories
The championships saw intense competition across the standard, rapid, and blitz categories, with numerous standout performances from junior players across Asia:
Standard Championship (Asian Juniors): GM Aleksey Grebnev (FIDE) won the gold, while IM Munkhdalai Amilal (Mongolia) and IM S Aswath (India) took silver and bronze, respectively.
Standard Championship (Asian Junior Girls): WIM Anna Shukhman (FIDE) claimed the championship, followed by Halder Sneha (India) in second place and WIM G Tejaswini (India) in third.
Rapid Championship (Asian Juniors): GM Aleksey Grebnev (FIDE) again took the top spot, with IM S Aswath (India) and FM Arjun Adireddy (India) as runners-up.
Rapid Championship (Asian Junior Girls): WIM Anna Shukhman continued her winning streak, while Oshini and WFM Shubhi Gupta took silver and bronze, respectively.
Blitz Championship (Asian Juniors): IM Artem Uskov (FIDE) won gold, with IM Khuong Duy Dau (Vietnam) and IM Michael Jr. Concio (Philippines) securing silver and bronze.
Blitz Championship (Asian Junior Girls): WFM Bristy Mukherjee (India) captured the title, followed by Hoang Tu Linh Luong (Vietnam) and WIM Zeinep Sultanbek (Kazakhstan).
Celebrating Oshini’s Achievements
WIM Oshini Devindya Gunawardhana’s achievements at the Asian Juniors and Girls Chess Championships 2024 are a source of pride for Sri Lanka, as she demonstrated excellence across multiple formats. Her silver in the rapid event and recognition as the Best Girl Under 16 in the Blitz championship underscore her dedication, skill, and potential to make further strides on the international chess stage.
