Nigeria Teams Amass Six Match Points Into Crucial Round 6 at Chess Olympiad

Posted : 21 September 2026

Team Nigeria’s men and women will seek to strengthen their positions at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, when they return to action in Round 6 on Monday.

Both teams go into the round with six match points after recording contrasting results in Round Five, with the men defeating Malawi 3½-½ and the women playing out a 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic on Sunday.

In the Open section, Nigeria recovered strongly from their previous-round defeat to Cuba as Bomo Lovet Kigigha drew with Joseph Mwale on Board One.

Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem then defeated Chiletso Chipanga, while Odion Aikhoje overcame George Mwale before 15-year-old Odey Goodness Ekunke completed the emphatic victory with a win over Joseph Xavier Nyambalo.

Aikhoje and Ekunke have each accumulated 3½ points from five games, while Abdulraheem has 2½ and Kigigha two points.

The victory gave the Nigerian men six match points from five rounds, with three wins and two defeats.

The women were unable to secure a victory but fought back twice to earn a valuable draw against the Czech Republic.

Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen lost to Joanna Worek on Board One before Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo restored parity by defeating Anna Lhotska.

Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi subsequently lost to Lucie Rybackova, leaving Nigeria needing a win on the final board, and Bridget Michael delivered with victory over Tereza Rodshtein to secure the 2-2 result.

Nwankwo continued her impressive individual run in Samarkand, taking her tally to 4½ points from five games.

The result leaves the Nigerian women with six match points from five rounds, following two victories, two draws and one defeat.

The men will now face Vietnam in Round Six at 3 p.m. on Monday, with their opponents coming off a 2½-1½ loss to Poland in Round Five.

Nigeria’s women, meanwhile, have been paired against Austria, with both sides entering the encounter on six match points. Nigeria is listed 66th and Austria 43rd in the latest pairing order.

Monday’s fixtures will be the final round before Tuesday’s rest day, after which the competition resumes with Round Seven on Wednesday.

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad, featuring 11 rounds, is being held from Sept. 16 to 27 in Samarkand.

Nigeria Teams Amass Six Match Points Into Crucial Round 6 at Chess Olympiad

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics