Nigeria's Omoruyi and Ekunke Achieve FIDE Titles

At the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Nigeria's Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi earned the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title, while teenage player Odey Goodness Ekunke secured the Candidate Master (CM) title. Ekunke, born in 2011, was Nigeria’s top performer in the Open section, achieving 6 points from 11 games, including victories against teams from New Caledonia, Saudi Arabia, Malawi, Guyana, and Tunisia, along with a draw against Cuba’s GM Aramis Alvarez Pedraza.

He previously won the inaugural FIDE World Amateur Rapid Championship in Abuja in August with a score of 9/11. Omoruyi also scored 6 points, but from 10 games in the Women’s section, with a significant final-round win over Syria.

Nigeria's women finished 85th out of 192 teams, while the men placed 118th out of 208 teams. Uzbekistan retained the Open title, and China won the Women’s event with an unbeaten record of 20 match points.