Thehas Kiringoda, a Sri Lankan chess player and a member of the Super Knights International Chess Academy, emerged victorious and was crowned as the World U09 Open Chess Champion at the recently concluded World School Chess Championship 2023 in Rhodes, Greece.
The tournament featured 61 players in the U09 open category and was played using FIDE rated Swiss-system of 9 rounds with a time control of 90 minutes and an additional 30-second increment from move 1. Despite being ranked 21st, Thehas displayed exceptional performance, winning the championship with 7.5/9 points. He only lost one game in the 8th round but bounced back with the help of his coach and mentor, Mr. Yasiru Mihiranga, the Director of Super Knights International Chess Academy.
Mr. Mihiranga’s continuous guidance boosted Thehas’s confidence, enabling him to secure the win in the final match.