FIDE CHESS OLYMPIAD: Team Nigeria Face Final-Day Test as Chess Olympiad Reaches Round 11

Nigeria’s men face Hong Kong challenge as Syria await women

By Maxwell Kumoye

Team Nigeria will head into the final round of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sunday, with both the men’s and women’s teams aiming to end their campaigns on a positive note.

The tournament, which began on September 16, reaches its conclusion after 11 rounds, with Round 11 scheduled for Sunday, September 27.

Nigeria’s men endured a difficult Round 10, suffering a 4-0 defeat to North Macedonia.

Emil Risteski defeated Bomo Kigigha, Anton Zlatkov overcame Abdulrahman Akintoye, Filip Pancevski beat Odion Aikhoje, while Nikola Nikolovski completed the clean sweep against teenage prospect Odey Goodness Ekunke.

The result leaves the Nigerian men on 10 match points after 10 rounds.

Individually, Akintoye Abdulrahman and Odey Goodness Ekunke have been among the team’s more consistent performers, with both players recording 5½ points from 10 games. Odion Aikhoje has 4½ points, while Bomo Kigigha has 3½.

The women, meanwhile, produced one of their strongest results of the tournament in Round 10, defeating Guatemala 3-1.

Deborah Quickpen, Iyefu Joy Onoja and Sandra Omoruyi all secured victories, while Bridget Michael narrowly missed out on completing a clean sweep after losing to Carolina Mazariegos Kummerfeldt.

The victory takes the Nigerian women to 11 match points, following five wins and one draw from their first 10 matches.

Bridget Michael has been particularly impressive individually, collecting 5½ points from eight games, while Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo has 4½ points from eight games.

The Nigerian men will close out their campaign against Hong Kong, China, while the women will face Syria in their respective final-round encounters.

The men’s pairing provides Nigeria with an immediate opportunity to respond to the North Macedonia setback, while the women will enter their final match buoyed by their convincing victory over Guatemala.

The final round also offers both teams an opportunity to add to their match and board points and finish the 11-round competition on a strong note.

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad has brought together national teams from across the world in Samarkand, with the final round scheduled for Sunday, September 27.

For Team Nigeria, the mission on the final day is clear: produce strong performances, finish the Olympiad positively and give the country’s chess community something to celebrate from Samarkand.