Nigeria set for Round 7 battles at FIDE Chess Olympiad

By Amaechi Agbo

Team Nigeria’s men and women are set to resume their campaigns at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, today, Wednesday, September 23, with both sides seeking a positive response after difficult results in Round 6.

The Round 7 matches are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. local time in Samarkand, with Nigeria’s men facing Libya in the Open section, while the women take on Suriname.

Nigeria’s men enter the encounter with six match points from six rounds, having recorded three victories and three defeats. Their campaign suffered a major setback in Round 6 when they were beaten 4-0 by Vietnam.

Before that defeat, the Nigerian side had bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Cuba by defeating Malawi 3½-½ in Round 5.

Against Libya, Nigeria will be looking to players such as Bomo Lovet Kigigha, Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem, Odion Aikhoje and Odey Goodness Ekunke to produce a stronger performance and rebuild momentum.

The Nigerian men currently have a team rating average of 2282, compared with Libya’s 2034, although the match itself will be decided on the four boards rather than rating differences.

The women’s team will also be aiming to return to winning ways after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Austria in Round 6.

Nigeria had previously drawn 2-2 with the Czech Republic in Round 5 and a 3-1 defeat in the hands of Austria in Round 6, with Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo and Bridget Michael securing the Nigerian points.

Nwankwo remains one of Nigeria’s standout performers in Samarkand, having accumulated 4½ points from six games before Round 7. She had been unbeaten through her first five games before losing to Austria’s Chiara Polterauer.

Nigeria, seeded 66th in the women’s competition, will meet 105th-seeded Suriname, whose squad has also collected six match points after six rounds. Suriname enters the encounter after a convincing 3½-½ victory over Malawi in Round 6.

The Round 7 fixtures represent an opportunity for Team Nigeria to turn the page following the setbacks in the previous round.

With 11 rounds scheduled in the Olympiad and the competition running until September 27, both Nigerian teams still have five rounds after today’s action to improve their final positions.