He is one of the youngest chess players to take part in the national chess tournament this year. Having won a bronze medal in the tournament he now stands a chance to be selected to represent the national chess team. This young chess player is a 14-year-old student of Nalanda College, Susal de Silva. He could also be introduced as the youngest chess FIDE Master in Sri Lanka. The Youth Observer met him recently to discuss his chess career.
Q: Susal, first of all I like to know at what age did you come into contact with the game of chess?
A: When I was in Grade one, a friend gifted me a chess board on my sixth birthday. At that time I did not know how to play chess. However, I was attracted to it like a magnet.
Q: Without knowing the rules how did you pick up the game?
A: For some strange reason I liked the chess board and its pieces. When I was trying to figure out the chess pieces my father came forward to help me. That is how I took to the game at such a young age.
Q: Did your father coach you?
A: He is the first teacher on every side of my life. But he does not know much about chess. But he taught me the basics of the game.
Q: Then, who was your first coach?
A: My first coach was Milinda Rathnayaka. I began my basic chess training under him. My family wanted me to learn under his guidance. That was the commencement of my chess journey.
Q: So coach Rathnayake was successful in developing your knowledge of chess?
A: Yes. Day-by-day I improved my skills. Then I won the singles chess title in Anuradhapura and was selected to take part in the national youth chess championship.
Q: What was your experience at the national youth chess championship?
A: I could not come within the first fifty players in this tournament. Then I trained harder to develop my skills under another chess coach.
Q: What do you mean when you say you trained harder?
A: My family motivated me to train under another coach based in Kurunegala. He is Akila Kavinda, a well-known chess coach.
Akila master is a university student and former national chess team member. At that time I went to Kurunegala from Anuradhapura every weekend to learn to play chess under his guidance.
It was a very tiring journey. But as I was determined to improve my chess skills I travelled to Kurunegala every weekend. Little-by-little I developed my skills and moved ahead.
Q: Did you win more chess titles after that?
A: Yes, I won the Anuradhapura district chess tournament in the under-eight age group in 2014. Then I took part in the youth chess championship and won a bronze medal.
Q: That win helped you to represent the country as well. Can you tell me something about it?
A: Of course. I got the chance to take part in the World School Chess Tournament in South Africa and the Asian School Chess Championship in Uzbekistan. That was an unexpected win and it changed my life. I will never forget it.
Q: After that, what happened to your chess journey?
A: I won several chess titles at that time. It boosted my morale and I continued to train hard.
Q: Can you summarize your successes at that time?
A: I won several events. I won the under-nine age group junior chess tournament in 2015. At that time, I also represented the country in the Asian Chess Championship in Singapore and the World Chess Championship in Thailand.
Q: Although you live in Anuradhapura you study at Nalanda College, Colombo?
A: I entered Nalanda College after I passed the Grade five scholarship examination. That too was a milestone in my life.
Q: The change of school helped to develop your chess skills?
A: Of course it did. It definitely changed my chess life and helped win the title in the under-12 age group in the West Asian Chess Championship. That victory gave me the FIDE status.
Q: Does this mean that you are the youngest player in Sri Lanka to win the FIDE title?
A: Yes. I am the youngest player to win the FIDE master title in my country. I am very thrilled about it.
Q: What are your ambitions in life?
A: I want to become a Grandmaster in chess and also study in the Maths stream at the Advanced Level and become an engineer one day.
