Player Profile: Sachini D. Ranasinghe

Full Name: Sachini D. Ranasinghe

Peak FIDE Rating: 1913, which Sachini achieved in 2012

Active Since: Sachini started playing in 1998 at the age of 4 and is an active player till now.

Federation: Sri Lanka

Player Description:

One of the best players to come out of Sri Lanka, Sachini Ranasinghe, holds the title of the Women's International Master. Not only that, she is the first player from Sri Lanka to hold that title. She is also the first Sri Lankan player to win Asian Zonal 3.2 and the first Sri Lankan to participate in the Chess World Cup. 

Talking about her Chess career, Ranasinghe was born in Abu Dhabi and was introduced to Chess by her brother, Sahan Ranasinghe. She moved to Sri Lanka soon after and began learning the sport at the Anatoly Karpov Chess Club. She trained under several Chess masters, including her current coach, Ransith Fernando. 

In her early life, Sachini appeared in TV Commercials and was also the Brand Ambassador for Acnes, Sri Lanka. She has also written a book called Thumula and His Strange Army, which she wrote to pique the interest of little children in chess at school. Sachini has been part of the Sri Lankan squad in three Women’s Chess Olympiads (2010, 2016, and 2018) and three Women’s Asian Team Chess Championships (2008, 2009, and 2016). Her fashion craze is well known. She is a big fan of shoes and whenever she sees black and white shoes, she goes on to buy them. 

Career Scorecard:

• Games Played: 1,444

• Games Played as White: 722, Won: 383, Lost: 199, Draw: 140

• Games Played as Black: 722, Won: 308, Lost: 257, Draw: 157

World Championship Cycles Appearances:

• Sachini Ranasinghe appeared in a single World Championship, which came way back in 2012. It was not a great outing for her as she lost in the first round to Hou Yifan. 

National Championships:

• Sachini has won the Sri Lanka Women’s Chess Championship in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. 

Tournaments won:

• Sri Lanka Women’s Chess Championship (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013)

• Asian Zonal Women’s Chess Championship (2011)

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