Nigeria's Chess Teams Struggle Olympiad in Samarkand

At the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Nigeria's chess teams concluded their campaigns outside the top 80 in both the Open and women's categories. The Open team finished 118th, earning 10 match points from five wins and six defeats, with a total of 21 game points across 11 rounds.

Their performance included a significant 4-0 loss to Vietnam in Round 6, followed by a recovery with a 3½-½ victory over Tunisia in Round 9. However, they faced another setback, losing 4-0 to North Macedonia in Round 10, and narrowly lost 2½-1½ to Hong Kong in the final round, where Bomo Lovet Kigigha secured Nigeria's only individual victory.

Abdulrahman Akintoye and Odey Goodness Ekunke were the leading performers, both scoring 5½ points. The women's team finished 85th with 11 match points from four wins, three draws, and four defeats.

They had a strong Round 10, defeating Guatemala 3-1, but lost 2½-1½ to Syria in their final match. Odey Goodness Ekunke led the women's team with 6½ points.