Today’s article is about a chess kingpin dominating the international chess scene.
She is 12-year-old, Devindya Oshini Gunawardena of Wycherley International School. Setting up a new record by becoming the youngest girl ever to win the women’s national chess championship in Sri Lanka, Oshini has brought pride and fame to her school and country.
She secured the title with an impressive score of 11 out of 13 points at the chess tournament organized by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka. The event took place at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo.
Her Chess life
Learning the basics of chess at Ferguson Girls School, Ratnapura under chess coach Jagath Kotalawala in 2019, she has showered her school with trophies. When she was nine-years-old, she won the Bronze medal in the rating category less than 1500 in the FIDE Queens Chess Festival 2021, conducted by the FIDE Women’s Commission.
Oshini was joint third at the under-7 girls’ category at the fourth SSC Open International Chess Championship in 2019. Later, she emerged champion in the under-7 girls’ category at the 10th Kandy Open International Rated Blitz Chess Championship in 2019. Again, she was the joint Champion in the under-7 girls’ category at the 10th Buddhi Open International Chess Championship in 2019.
She emerged champion in the under-7 girls’ category at the 10th Kandy Open International Chess Festival in 2019. Surprisingly, Oshini was fortunate enough to win the championship by competing in the under-7 girls’ category at the 11th Ethugalpura International Chess Challenge in 2019. Oshini emerged champion in the under-7 girl’s age category Classical event at the Sri Lanka National Youth Girls Chess Championship in 2019.
Oshini was placed second runner-up in Group X, at the Inaugural Sri Lanka Youth Girls (under-14) Grand Prix in 2020. She was champion in the under-8 Girls category at the National Youth Rapid Chess Championship in 2020. She emerged champion in the under-10 age group category at the 11th Sharjah International Online Blitz event.
Oshini was placed 13th at the CFSL Online under-14 Open Youth Rapid Chess Championship in 2021. She was a member of the Sri Lanka ‘C’ team at the Asian Nations Cup Online under-14 girls section Chess Championship in 2021. She was placed 14th at the CFSL Online under-14 Girls Youth Rapid Chess Championship in 2021. Oshini was first runner-up of under 10 Girls category at Sri Lanka Online Chess Championship in 2021. She was the first runner up in Group ‘D’ of the Asian Qualifier event for the FIDE Online Queen’s Chess Festival in 2021.
Oshini was second runner up in Group ‘D’ of FIDE Online Queen’s Chess Festival Finals in 2021, which was conducted by the FIDE Women’s Commission. Oshini was the youngest player of this tournament.
Oshini’s progress at the International Chess Rating Initial rating is 1288, achieved in August 2020. She increased it even playing some difficult tournaments for example in the Under 14 Grand Prix open tournament in Sri Lanka. In that event she played against boys who are under-14 and increased 50 rating point and beat the Champion too. The current International Rating is 1373. She is the No. 8 player in the world for girls born in 2012 and the 3rd in Asian rank. (YK)
Speaking of her victory, we can never forget her chess coaches. Oshini started learning chess under Jagath Kotalawala at Ferguson Girls School, Ratnapura in 2019. Later, she learnt chess under Rasika Samaranayake in a short time. From 2020 onwards she is under her present coach C.M. Akila Kavinda.
