Team Nigeria Battles On At Chess Olympiad After Round 7 Defeats
Team Nigeria will look to bounce back in Round 8 of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, after both the men’s and women’s teams suffered defeats in Round 7.
The Nigerian men were beaten 3-1 by Libya in the Open section, while the women went down 2½-1½ to Suriname, leaving both teams on six match points after seven rounds.
The men were seeking a response after their heavy 4-0 loss to Vietnam in Round 6 and made a promising start against Libya.
Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem secured Nigeria’s only win, defeating Mohammed Midhat Abdulrahman on Board One.
Nigeria, however, could not build on that advantage as Odion Aikhoje lost to Ali Elier, Bartholomew Emmanuel Okhipo was beaten by Yousef A. Alhassadi, and Odey Goodness Ekunke fell to Tawfik ezzeddin Kweiri.
The 3-1 defeat leaves Nigeria with three wins and four losses from seven rounds. The team has scored 12½ board points and is 126th in the Open standings with six match points.
In the women’s section, Suriname ended Nigeria’s bid to recover from the 3-1 defeat to Austria in Round 6 with a narrow 2½–1½ victory.
Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo remains one of Nigeria’s leading performers in the competition. The 1997-rated player entered Round 7 with 4½ points from six games after going unbeaten in her first five matches before losing to Austria’s Chiara Polterauer in Round 6.
After seven rounds, the Nigerian women have two wins, two draws and three defeats, giving them six match points from a total of 14 board points. They are currently 105th in the women’s standings.
The women’s squad in Samarkand comprises Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen, Iyefu Joy Onoja, Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo, Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi and Bridget Michael.
With four rounds still to play, both Nigerian teams have the opportunity to improve their standings before the Olympiad ends on September 27.
Nigeria’s men will face Guyana in Round 8 on Thursday, September 24, while the women will take on Lesotho.
The 2026 Olympiad features 11 rounds in both the Open and women’s sections.
