Omoruyi, Ekunke Emerge With New FIDE Titles From Samarkand

Posted : 29 September 2026

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, has brought fresh recognition to Nigerian chess, with Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi and Odey Goodness Ekunke earning new international titles.

Omoruyi was awarded the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title, while teenage player Ekunke attained the Candidate Master (CM) title following their performances at the 11-round global championship.

The achievements add to a growing list of milestones for Ekunke, who was born in 2011 and has emerged as one of Nigeria’s promising young players.

Before the Olympiad, Ekunke made history in August by becoming the inaugural FIDE World Amateur Rapid Chess Champion after scoring nine points from 11 games in Abuja.

He continued his encouraging run in Samarkand, collecting six points from 11 games.

His campaign included victories over players representing New Caledonia, Saudi Arabia, Malawi, Guyana and Tunisia, as well as a draw against Cuban Grandmaster Aramis Alvarez Pedraza.

Omoruyi also delivered a strong individual performance for the Nigerian women, scoring six points from 10 games.

She recorded six victories, including a crucial success against Syria in the final round to underline her contribution to the team’s campaign.

Other Nigerian players also posted notable individual scores at the Olympiad.

Woman International Master Bridget Michael finished with 5½ points from nine games, while Woman FIDE Masters Deborah Quickpen and Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo both scored 4½ points.

In the Open section, FIDE Master Abdulrahman Akintoye secured 5½ points, while International Master Odion Aikhoje and FIDE Master Bomo Lovet Kigigha contributed 4½ points apiece.

Ekunke led the Nigerian men with six points from his 11 games.

Nigeria’s women finished 85th with 11 match points, while the men ended the competition in 118th position with 10 match points.

The Olympiad featured 208 teams in the Open section and 192 teams in the Women’s event.

Uzbekistan retained the Open title, while China claimed the Women’s crown after completing an unbeaten campaign with 20 match points.

For Nigeria, however, the emergence of Omoruyi and Ekunke with new FIDE titles provides a significant individual highlight from the Samarkand campaign and another indication of the depth of talent emerging in the country’s chess system.

Omoruyi, Ekunke Emerge With New FIDE Titles From Samarkand

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