The first-ever CFSL Online Women Rapid Teams Chess Cup 2021 organized by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka resumed its third level, the Div, A promising more exciting chess as it did in the other two Divisions. The Semi Finals & the Finals will be on the 24th of January 2021. All the games are conducted on Chess.com.
In photo above are, from left, Sachini, Dasuni, Pasindi and Sandeepni. WGM Gulmaira below is import team member. Final category stage games were held 17 January with the participation of 40 chess queens of 8 strongest troops. They battled with each other to take their teams to the throne. At the end of the day, top 4 teams according to the decision of the leaderboard advanced to the double knockout round.
Teams were paired under the round-robin method. In the first round, Ceylon Chathuranga Chess Club and Passed pawn chess were able to win the round against Castle Siege Chess Club and Fisher Chess Club – Girls-B Team with a wide gap of three points. Also, Chess Champs Academy and Mayor Chess Club Women’s teams were able to win the round against their respective opponents.
In the second round, after a hard-hitting clash, the game of the board 01 was uniformly shared among Mayors Chess Club Women’s and Ceylon Chaturanga Chess Club. Meanwhile, Passed Pawn Chess Club was able to protect their position in team standings after the victory against Sokains CC Women’s Chess Club. Further, Chess Champs Academy and Fischer Chess Club maintained on the way to finals by defeating their respective opponents.
Most highlighted game in the round 03 was the play between Passed Pawn Chess Club and Fischer Chess Club – Girls – A-Team. At the end of the round, Fischer Chess Club – Girls – Team A was able to win the round with a profit of 2 points. Meanwhile, after some clashes, Fischer Chess Club – Girls – Team – B, Castle Siege Chess Club and Chess Champs academy were able to win the round against their opponents.
Passed Pawns Chess Club was able to recover things they lost in the previous round up to a certain level by stealing 3 points from Mayor Chess Club Women’s team. Meanwhile, Chess Champs Arena climbed to the top of the rankings with the victory they obtained against strong Ceylon Chathuranga Chess Club. Other two games of the round four were ended up being in the favour of Fischer Chess Club Team A and B.
At the end of some nail-biting games, the result in the board 4 of the fifth round was equally shared among Chess Champs Academy and Passed Pawns Chess Club. The same result was heard from the second board too. Meanwhile, Mayor Chess Club women’s and Ceylon Chathuranga Club was able to wrap up the games of first and third boards without many difficulties.
After the play of round 06, Chess Champs Academy, Passed Pawns Chess Club and Fisher Chess Club Girls – B – Team were able to reserve their seats to finals as Fischer Chess Club Girls – A-Team was 3 match points behind from Fischer Chess Club – Girls – B – Team. If Mayor Chess Club was able to win the seventh round, they would be able to go to finals. If not Fischer Chess Club – Girls – A-Team will get the ticket to finals.
At the end of the day the leaderboard has decided that Chess Champs Academy, Passed Pawns Chess Club, Fisher Chess Club – Girls – B Team and Fisher Chess Club – Girls – A-Team will sit in the finals. Newspaper clipping below shows popularity of chess in Sri Lanka.
Following are the victorious teams and players of those teams.
Passed Pawns Chess Club – Champion
01.Mendis Dasuni Hansika
02.Dauletova Gulmira
03.Ransinghe S D
04.Wijesuriya G P Y
05.Sandeepani M Tharushi
Fischer Chess Club Girls – B – Team – First Runner Up
01.Thennakoon Rumethma
02.Wijesingha W M M N
03.Gunarathne Manisha Suchini
04.Marasinghe Chanethma Devangi
05.Yapa Bandara Chamodya
Chess Champs Academy
01. Premanath Dinushki
02. Koswatte C T
03. Sharma Isha
04. Saumy Zainab
05.Premanath Presana
The Semifinals and Finals will be live streamed with commentaries by two most experienced past National Champions, Dulan Edirisinghe and Newly elected FIDE Trainer, Rajeendra Kalugampitiya.