The Chess Federation of Sri Lanka (CFSL) will host the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2026 at Citrus Hotel, Waskaduwa from May 17 to 25, The Island reported on Friday. The federation is staging the tournament on behalf of the Commonwealth Chess Federation and the World Chess Federation (FIDE).
The event has attracted 350 foreign players representing 14 countries — Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Kenya, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, Singapore and South Africa — alongside an equal number of Sri Lankan competitors. The combined field of roughly 700 players makes it one of the largest international sporting events Sri Lanka has hosted this year.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, is expected to attend. His presence underscores the championship’s international standing within the federation’s tournament calendar.
The Commonwealth Chess Championship rotates among member nations and includes Open, Women’s and age-group categories. Sri Lanka last hosted the event in 2019.
Sri Lanka’s chess governance was recently affected by national sports administration changes, and the Waskaduwa championship is the most visible federation event of 2026 so far.
