Chamika youngest ever to win Chess title

S M Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

Sixteen year old Chamika Perera of Trinity College, Kandy, became the youngest ever to win the mens National Chess Championship organised by the Sri Lanka Chess Federation and held at the University of Moratuwa recently.

Little Chamika Perera lifted the national title quite comfortably despite the presence of the more experienced and seasoned chess players at this National Chess Championship by securing 9 1/2 points from 13 games.

Perera is not only the youngest but also the first schoolboy from Trinity College to win this title and the only other Trinitian to do so was S Abeysekera in the mid 1980’s but after leaving school.

Two years ago Perera as a fourteen year old held the promise of making of a good chess player when he won the Schools under 14 boys chess championship organized by the Sri Lanka Schools Chess Federation also the National Youth Chess Championship organised by the Sri Lanka Chess Federation to perform the rare double.

Improving on his performances, last year he represented Sri Lanka at the Chess Olympiad held in Khanty, Russia and the World Youth Chess Championship held in Vietnam last year where he gave a good account of himself.

Chamika Perera at one stage did both swimming and chess but later opted to continue with chess which he found more interesting and absorbing and challenging. Besides he had to continue his studies for which he devotes most of his time. Chess is something which runs in the family of the Perera’s from the hill capital.

His eldest brother Lakshitha excelled at both swimming and chess and captained Trinity College at both sports and also represented the country at swimming with the Butter Fly stroke as his pet event.

His second brother Malaka Perera captained the Trinity College chess team and also represented the College at swimming and is now studying medicine at the University of Adelaide where he is continuing his sports. Therefore the Perera brothers, Lakshitha, Malaka and Chamika have done Trinity College and the home town Kandy proud.