The Sokian’s Chess Club from Ambalangoda won the CFSL Inaugural Online Rapid Chess Cup 2020 conducted by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka at Chess.com after a nail biting finish yesterday. The strongest Team, Lasker Chess Club with three National Team players and The Sokian’s with an International Master from Uzbekistan with Asian Gold Medalist Sasith Piyumantha entered the finals outscoring Marshal Chess Club and Anandian’s Chess Club respectively. The Final stage was to play two matches with alternating colours by the finalists.
The Sokian’s edged the Laskar CC 2 ½ to 1 ½ in the 1st Final Match with the support of the Uzbekistan IM, Abdisalimov Abdimalik and Kasun Wimalasuriya scoring full points and Thisal Mankith getting a Draw in Sokian’s favour. The National Chess Champion Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage scored a full point for Laskar CC. The Finals started at 5.30 p.m. and the teams were having 1 ½ points each from a Draw beween Saith and Ranindu, Win from the IM to Sokians and LMST De Silva scoring a full point for Laskar CC. Needing a half a point to the championship for Sokian’s the marathon final game between Thisal Manjith Piyumantha Vs Akila Kavinda dragged 130 moves where Thisal managed to get the required draw.
(l to r) Thisal Manjith Piyumantha, Kasun Wimalasuriya, IM Abdisalimov, Sasity Naiupn
The Anandian’s Chess Club managed to win the Bronze Medal outplaying the Marshal Chess Club in the consolation Finals. The Indian IM Mohammad Nubairshah Sheikh scored two full points in both rounds against Athula Russel and MAAH Rathnayake respectively. Chathulanka Gamage beat DCJ Karunarathne while Lahiru Munasinghe got a Draw against KRVR Subasinghe in the 1st round to score 2 ½ points to win the round. In the 2nd round, Lahiru Munasinghe and Chathulanka Gamage got two draws with KRVR Subasinghe and DCJ Karunarathne to get a drawn match to win the 3rd place. Only CMS Praneeth Kumar managed to win the both games for Marshal Chess Club.
The tournament was a great success with the participation of 95 Teams, 475 players. The event was played in 5 Categories according to strength of the teams according to the ranking of the players where Sixth Stage was knockout finals. Each three teams which won the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in a category was advanced to the higher category event. The event was held from 19th December 2020 to 3rd Jan 2021 and came to a grand Finish yesterday with a Rs 55,000/- Cash Awards.
The Chess Federation had arranged a live stream at CFSL You Tube Chanel with the commentaries by the strongest International Master Harshana Thilakarathne, Dulan Edirisinghe and Women International Master Sachini Ranasinghe. A virtual Awarding Ceremony was also arranged by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka with the participation of Mr. Casto Abundo, the Executive Director of Asian Chess Federation and Mr. Luxman Wijesuriya, the President of Chess Federation of Sri Lanka.
Champions
Sokians Chess Club
01.Piyumantha M Sasith Niupun
02.Abdisalimov Abdimalik
03.Wimalasuriya Kasun M
04.Piyumantha M Thisal Manjith
1st Runner Up
Lasker Chess Club
- Weerawardane Romesh
02.Liyanage Ranidu Dilshan
03.De Silva L M S T
04.Kavinda Akila
2nd Runner up
Anandians Chess Club
01.Theekshana H G Denuwan
02.Mohammad Nubairshah Sheikh
03.Gamage Chathulanka
04.Munasinghe Lahiru
4th Place
Marshall Chess Club
01.Rathnayaka M A A H
02.Russel M K A
03.Subasinghe K R V R
04.Karunarathne D C J
05.Kumara C M S Praneeth