Global Chess Coaches

15 June 2023

Marlon Fernando

Marlon captained the St. Joseph's College, Colombo 10 Chess Team 1999 and his individual contribution to the team events made the school team one of the leading teams in his period. He was a permanent team member of the University of Moratuwa Chess Team and represented the university team for the Grand Asian Chess Challenge 2001 at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. He became the captain of the university team in the year 2004 and managed to win the Inter-University Men's Championship with great support from the team members. Later he played for the Passed Pawns Chess Club, Old Josephians' Chess Club, and NF3 Chess Club in the national inter-club cycle. He is the captain of the Global chess club for the year 2023.

Marlon played the National chess championship in 2003 and 2004 and still, he is active in the national cycle.

Marlon has worked as a chess coach since 1999 for many leading schools including St Joseph's College Colombo10, D S Senanayake College Colombo 8, Vihara Maha Devi Balika Vidyalaya Kiribathgoda, Southlands College Galle, OKI network ...etc. Now he is the senior coach of De Mazenod College Kadana, Maris Stella College Negombo, Wycherley International School Gampaha, and Harischandra National School Negombo. He is coaching at private institutions as well - Branches of Global Chess Academy Kadawatha, Kadana, Negombo, success Institute Miriswatta, Ran Sewana Kalagedihena, and Silver Line Kadawatha.

Marlon was an active EXCO member of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka in 2000. He was a founder member of FMTJ Chess Club brought the internationally rated chess event to Negombo, after branding the event- Negombo Chess Festival, it was handed over to the District Association for raising funds. He served Gampaha district chess as the president of the District Association for 2019. The transparency and accountability through audited accounts of this golden year, the association could sponsor the leading players (3 air tickets for Delhi open GM event, funds for official players, and District official teams for the inter-club cycle). Presently he is supporting the success of the Inter International Schools Chess Championship of The International Schools of Sri Lanka and the regional events of the Sri Lanka Schools Chess Association.

Starting his arbitrating career in 2000 with manual pairings, Marlon is an updated arbiter.

Marlon is a FIDE instructor, arbiter, organizer, administrator, and mainly active FIDE-rated player.

In addition to his chess career, he is a 1st class Engineering Graduate from the University of Moratuwa with postgraduate qualifications - an MSc, in Financial Mathematics from the University of Moratuwa and a Commonwealth Executive MBA from the Open University of Sri Lanka.

You can contact him for physical/ online individual/ small group chess classes through WhatsApp text message at +94775859800.

Kaushalya Weerawarna

Kaushalya Weerawarna was the captain of Mahinda College - Galle under 19 chess team in 1997-1998. He also led the senior chess team of Mahinda College - Galle from 1997-2000. Played as a school chess team player since 1995. During 1997-2000 under his leadership, Mahinda College's chess teams were able to become the leading team in the Southern Province. Also, Mahinda Vidyalaya's chess teams were able to become one of the best school chess teams in Sri Lanka at that time.

Has played as a member of the Nf3 chess team that won the Sri Lanka Inter Club Chess Championship in 2001.  He also played as a member of the Nf3 chess team that won Second Runner-up in the Super League Chess Championship 2005.

He currently plays for the Global Chess Club.

Kaushalya coached at Galle Sanghamitta Girls College from 2000 to 2008.

The under-15 team of Sanghamitta Girls' College - Galle, which won the All-Island Championship in 2001, trained under him. That victory is also the first time that a Southern Province team won an All-Island victory. From then until 2008, he worked as the chess coach of Sanghamitta Girls' College - Galle, which won many school chess team tournaments in Sri Lanka.

He has been the personal chess coach of Chandima Wijewardena (M.C. Wijewardena - FIDE ID: 9900586), the first Female FIDE master (WFM)  from the southern province, who participated in the Turkey Olympiad Chess Tournament in 2002, representing the Sri Lankan Women's National Chess Team. There, she played under board number four and managed to finish fifth among the best players.

Kaushalya worked as the coach of Galle Richmond College from 2001 to 2005 and during that time the Galle Richmond College chess teams have achieved many victories in all of Sri Lanka.

Has worked as a chess coach at Mahinda College - Galle, D.S. Senanayake College- Colombo, Bandaranaike College - Gampaha, Sujata College - Matara.

Currently, he is working as a chess coach at Newstead Girls' College - Negombo and a chess coach at St. Paul's Girls' School – Kelaniya.

Kaushalya Weerawarna works as a chess author. He has authored Chess Tactics (Sinhala), Pawn Ending (Sinhala), and Chess Tactics Workbook for Beginners (Sinhala).

You can contact him for physical/ online individual/ small group chess classes (Sinhala Medium) through WhatsApp text message at +94706436100 / +94766436100 voice +94726436100.

Shamin De Moraes

Shamin De Moraes captained the St. Joseph's College, Colombo 10 Chess Team 1998 which was one of the leading school teams in Sri Lanka in that period. He was a  team member of the Vishy Anand chess club and won the Sri Lanka Inter Club Chess Championship in 2002. He played for the Kolonnawa chess club, Colombo chess club, Vishy Anand Chess Club, Nf3 chess club, and Old Josephians' Chess Club in the Sri Lanka Inter Club cycle. Currently, he is a member of the Global chess club.      

Shamin De Moraes played in the Sri Lanka National chess championship in 2000 and 2005. He is an International Rated player with a 2085 peak rating. He is a National Instructor (FIDE).  

Shamin De Moraes has worked as the chess coach at Rathnawali Balika Vidyalaya Gampaha, Vihara Maha Devi Balika Vidyalaya Kiribathgoda, Harischandra National College Negombo, Holy Family Balika Vidyalaya Kadawatha, St. Bridget’s Convent Colombo-07, St. Joseph’s College Colombo-10, St. Peter’s College Colombo-03, D.S. Senanayake College Colombo-8, Gothami Balika Vidyalaya Colombo-10, and Ashoka Vidyalaya Colombo-10

Under his guidance, Rathnawali Balika Vidyalaya Gampaha secured the following achievements in the Sri Lanka National School Chess Championships in Western Province and All Island events. The tournaments were organized by the Ministry of Education.  
The under-19 team became 1st Runner up in the western province, and in the all-island event team become 2nd Runner up in 2008.
Under 15 team became 1st Runner up in the western province, in the all-island event team become 2nd Runner up in 2005, and also one player won a gold medal as a board prize. 

Rathnawali Balika Vidyalaya Gampaha is the only school from the Gampaha District to secure places in both under 15 and under 19 age groups at the All Island event of the Sri Lanka National School Chess Championships. 

Currently, he is working as a chess coach at Ave Maria Convent Negombo and Lyceum International School - Wattala.

Active involvement with the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka (CFSL)
Honorary Librarian – 2004 and 2008
Executive Committee Member – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2011
Team manager of the Sri Lanka National Team in the Asian Teams Chess Championship 2003, Jodhpur India.

Chess Arbiter
He worked as a Chess Arbiter in the following International Tournaments. Asian Juniors 2002, Marawila Sri Lanka. Asian Juniors 2003, Negombo Sri Lanka. Asian Teams Chess Championship 2003, Jodhpur India. Asian Schools Chess Championship 2008, Kandy Sri Lanka, and Asian Schools Chess Championship 2009, Colombo Sri Lanka.

Tournament organizer
The organizer of the Negombo Chess Festival 2016 – International Rated Tournament

He has translated and published the following chess books in Sinhala Language. චෙස් ඉගෙනුම ආරම්භකයින් සඳහා  පාඩම් සිසු වැඩ පොත 1 , චෙස් ඉගෙනුම නවකයින් සඳහා  පාඩම් 1.   

You can contact him for chess classes through WhatsApp text message at +94712297180.