Nigeria Chess Stars Confident Ahead of World Chess Olympiad

Nigeria’s leading chess players are optimistic about their chances of making a strong impact at the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, as the prestigious international tournament gets underway.

The Nigerian delegation arrived in Uzbekistan after departing the country on Monday night aboard Turkish Airlines.

The team brings together a blend of experienced players and promising young talents, all determined to represent Nigeria strongly on the global stage.

Nigeria’s number-one chess player, Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, is targeting a medal in his category and expressed confidence in the quality of the national team.

“Personally, my expectation is to play the best chess that I possibly can, and hopefully, we can win a category medal,” Abdulraheem said.

He added that the combination of experienced veterans and younger players gives Team Nigeria a balanced squad capable of competing effectively against some of the world’s strongest chess nations.

“I think Team Nigeria is quite strong. We have some experienced veterans as well as some very young players, so I believe we can do very well at the Olympiad,” he said.

Nigeria is represented by 10 players at the tournament, comprising five men and five women.

The men’s team includes Abdulraheem, Bomo Kigigha, who is making his eighth appearance at the Olympiad, Ekunke Goodness, Bartholomew Okhipo and Odion Aikhoje.

The women’s team consists of Deborah Quickpen, Michelle
Nwankwo, Sandra Omoruyi, Bridget Michael and Joy Iyefu.

At just 15 years old, Goodness Ekunke is among the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent. He will make his debut at the World Chess Olympiad after winning the World Rapid Amateur Chess Championship in Abuja in August.

Despite being a teenager and appearing on the global stage for the first time, Ekunke said he was not intimidated by the occasion and was focused on producing his best performance.

“I don’t think I’ll feel any pressure, actually. I’ll just stay relaxed and free, but I’ll also perform very well,” he said.

The young chess player also expressed confidence that Nigeria could record its best-ever performance at the competition.

“We’ll perform better than we have ever performed before, and we won’t have any poor performances,” he declared.

Another teenage member of the squad, Michelle Nwankwo, is equally looking forward to competing against some of the best chess players in the world.

For Deborah Quickpen, extensive preparation has helped her develop the confidence needed to handle the demands of the competition.

She said she had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of representing Nigeria at the Olympiad even before her selection was confirmed.

“I’m confident that I’ll be able to handle the pressure because I was already preparing for the Olympiad before I even knew I would be selected,” Quickpen said.

“I believe I’ll do well, by God’s grace. It’s not by my power, but I’m also going to do my best and play my part. I also believe my teammates will do their part as well.”

The 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad is scheduled to run from September 15 to 27, with a record 400 national teams competing across the Open and Women’s sections.

The tournament is being held at the Silk Road International Tourist Center/EXPO Center in Samarkand.

Following the opening ceremony on Tuesday, competitive action began on Wednesday, with Team Nigeria starting its campaign in pursuit of honours on the international stage.

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