Colombo, Jan 9, 2PM – Rithmitha Kiringoda of Ananda College and Sanuli Dodangoda of Southland College emerged as champions in the Under-9 category at the recent National Youth Chess Championship organized by the Sri Lanka Chess Federation.
The competition, held at Dharmapala Vidyalaya Pannipitiya last week, saw Rithmitha Kiringoda facing tough opponents among 687 participants over 10 intense rounds. Remarkably, Kiringoda secured the Under-9 championship with an outstanding score of 9.5 out of 10 points, facing only one draw in the 10th round. The first runner-up position went to Chamuditha Herath of Maliyadeva College, while Biman Koswattage of Lyceum International School secured the second runner-up spot with superior tiebreaks.
In the Girls Under-9 category, Sanuli Dodangoda of Southland College displayed her skills against 437 players in nine rounds. Dodangoda claimed the championship with an impressive score of 8.5 out of 9 points, encountering only one draw in the third round. Sithumila Halangoda of Queenstar International Chess Academy and Hasadi Sethumsa of Sujatha Vidyalaya Matara secured the first and second runner-up spots, respectively, with superior tiebreaks.
The tournament adopted an individual Swiss-format in each category, with a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move 1 throughout the championship. The young chess prodigies demonstrated not only their talent but also their resilience and strategic thinking, making the competition a memorable event for participants and spectators alike.
