14 year old Nalandian Susal Thewjan de Silva is the youngest Fide Master (FM) in Sri Lanka in the history of Chess and he is the youngest member of the National Chess Team.
Susal Thewjan de Silva gained the Bronze medal at Sri Lanka National Chess championship 2020 which was held recently at Hotel Taj Samudra ,Colombo conducted by Chess Federation of Sri Lanka.
Susal completed his primary education at D.S. Senanayake Model Primary School Anuradhapura. He passed the Grade 5 scholarship exam in 2016.
He joined Nalanda College Colombo in 2017. One of his friends gifted a small chess board for his sixth birthday and Susal was so impressed with it. But he didn't know how to play. His father knew very little chess and Susal started playing with his father. Few months later he got to know about . Milinda Ratnayake. Susal started proper coaching under him in 2012. next year he won the Schools Individual Chess Championship of the Anuradhapura district. But he did not succeed in the All Island tournament, Then in 2013 he won the championship at selection of Youth Chess Championship, but again he couldn't reach even the first fifty at the All Island tournament. Susal learnt Chess under Sri Lankan National Chess player . Akila Kavinda. He was a student at Colombo University then but he promised us to do the lessons on weekends at Kurunegala. So this eight year old lad used to travel every weekend to Kurunegala from Anuradhapura to learn chess from Akila Kavinda.
In 2014 he was the Champion in Anuradhapura district selection and won the Bronze medal at All Island Youth Chess Championship under 8 and was selected to play very important International Chess tournaments. Susal represented the Sri Lanka team at the World Schools tournament in South Africa and Asian Schools tournament at Uzbekistan in 2014.
Susal was champion of under 12 at Western Asian Chess Championship 2017 and obtained Fide Master (FM) title in age 11 and youngest FM in Sri Lanka in 2017. Susal was selected to the National Chess Team of Sri Lanka. He was 13 years old and the youngest player who was selected to the National team in Sri Lankan Chess History in 2019. He emerged Champion at National Rapid Chess Championship in 2020 and Champion at seventh Sri Lanka Chess Grand Prix in 2020. He was second runner up at Sri Lanka National Chess Championship in 2020.
Susal gained under 8 Bronze medals at Youth Chess Championship 2014, participated in World Youth Chess Championship (under 8) at South Africa. He was champion of the under 9 category at Schools Individual Chess Championship in 2016 and participated in the World Schools Chess
Championship in 2015 in Thailand. Susal participated at the Asian Schools Chess Championship in 2015 (under 9) at Singapore and he gained under 10 Bronze medals at Youth Chess Championship in 2016. He gained Under 10 - Bronze medal at Youth Chess Championship
2017, under 12 Champion at Youth Chess Championship 2018, under 13 Champion
at Schools Chess Individual Chess Championship in 2018.
He participated in the World Youth Chess Championship in 2019 (under 12) at India
Susal emerged Champion at Western Asian Chess Championship 2017 (under 12) and obtained Fide Master (FM) title at the age of 11 and is the youngest FM in Sri Lanka, he was Champion at Buddhi International Chess Championship 2018. He was selected to the National Chess Team of Sri Lanka (5th place) 2019.
He was 13 years old and the youngest player who was selected to the National team in Sri Lankan Chess History and emerged Champion at Ethugalpura International Chess Championship 2019 and Colombo International Chess Championship 2020,
He emerged champion at 7th Sri Lanka Chess Grand Prix 2020 and was2nd runners up at Sri Lanka National Chess Championship 2020. He emerged champion at All island schools chess championship 2017 and was selected to play at world schools chess championship 2017 in Romania and he increased his international rating by 150. He played two international rating tournaments at Malaysia in 2018 and increased his ratings by 160. He has been working with Akila Kavinda since 2014. “Without the support of Akila, sir i wouldn't be where I am today. Sir made a lot of sacrifices and hard work to lift me up . I like chess very much, that is my passion. I want to be a Grand Master one day.
I work for it. Because of the covid pandemic I could not take part in foreign tournaments and couldn't achieve my goals.I watch cricket matches during my leisure time and play table tennis with my brother. My father gives me a lot of support financially and mother helps me both in my studies and chess. My brother is my biggest fan”.
Susal is grateful to Luxman Wijesuriya for guidance , organising tournaments and providing all the necessary facilities to play chess. He thanked the principal of Nalanda College Thilak Wattuhewa, Chess Teacher in Charge Mrs.Sakunthala Sandamali, Milinda Ratnayake his first Chess coach in Anuradhapura, Akila Kavinda and Gayan Peiris Chess coach of Nalanda College. (Y.K.)
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