Win Medals at Inaugural Commonwealth Schools Chess Championship

Three students from the Gateway Group of Colleges have won individual and team medals for Sri Lanka at the first Commonwealth Schools Chess Championship, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 4 to 12 October.

The championship was organised by the Malaysian Chess Federation and the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association under the auspices of the Commonwealth Chess Association and FIDE, and was played at the CitiTel Hotel, Mid Valley City. Players from Commonwealth countries competed in odd numbered age categories.

Losara Methyuga Kulatunge of Gateway College Colombo, who played in the Under 15 Boys category, won silver in the individual standard event and bronze in both the individual rapid and blitz events. He also won team medals with Sri Lanka: gold in blitz and rapid, and bronze in standard. Losara achieved a FIDE rating above 2000 earlier this year. He is also selected to Sri Lanka in the Under 15 category at the FIDE World Youth Chess Championship in Roquetas de Mar, Spain, from 13 to 21 October, having placed third in the Under 15 Open category at the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka selection tournament.

Yeshan Randiv Perera of Gateway College Kandy, who played in the Under 11 Boys category, finished joint second in the individual rapid event. He was also a member of the Sri Lankan Under 11 team that won gold in the team rapid event. Yeshan holds the FIDE Online Arena title of Arena FIDE Master and has a FIDE rating of 1683. MeleeshaThennakoon of Gateway College Negombo, who competed in the Under 9 Girls category, won bronze in the individual blitz event, finishing in third place. She also won three team medals with Sri Lanka: silver in blitz and standard, and bronze in rapid. Meleesha has a FIDE rating of 1503.